Increasing temperatures, coupled with falling humidity, for the past several days has escalated the risk of forest fires across the country. The fires in İzmir and Mersin that started three days ago continued yesterday, said officials, while the third major fire in Kaş, in the southeast, was partially under control.

The fire in Menderes, İzmir, which has already destroyed 800 hectares of forest land, created a scare when it almost got out of control again due to winds.

Firemen intervened both from land and air to stop its spread, with one fireman breaking his arm in the process. In Anamur, Mersin, where a fire has destroyed 200 hectares of forest in three days, officials started the cooling process to prevent its resumption.

Forestry officials have said that 97 percent of all fires are caused due to human error.