Two days after it broke out, a wildfire spreading across a green patch of the southwestern town of Marmaris aggressively lingered. Firefighters battled the wildfire in Muğla province from land and air on Thursday, as hopes that the blazes were contained fizzled after they spread again due to high temperatures and windy conditions.
Scenes of burning woodland near the Aegean coastal resort of Marmaris sparked fears of a repeat of last year's fires that devastated tens of thousands of hectares (acres) across the region.
The wildfire mobilized everything, everyone, from professional firefighters to volunteers, from fire airplanes and helicopters dousing water on flames to police water cannon vehicles joining efforts on the land. In the meantime, the blaze spread through the forest in the sparsely populated area in the town's Bördübet neighborhood as a plume of smoke hung over the area.
The cause of the fire, which began at around 8 p.m. (5 p.m. GMT) on Tuesday is not clear. After fighting flames throughout Wednesday, crews paused the work as the darkness set in, only to resume it on Thursday morning.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Vahit Kirişçi, who has been in the area since the fire broke out, said Wednesday that the fire was under control but later said it had spread again, fanned by wind and hot weather. Some 274 people were evacuated as a precaution, he said, adding that some 2,600 people were working to contain the fire. The Directorate of Forestry said that 27 helicopters and 14 planes would be involved in tackling the fire on Thursday.
Human-induced climate change is making heat waves more likely and more severe, scientists say. Last summer's wildfires, most of which were also near Marmaris, were the most intense in Turkey on record, a European Union atmosphere monitor said last year, adding that the Mediterranean had become a wildfire hot spot.
Kirişçi told reporters that the Turkish Armed Forces also aided the efforts, providing seven helicopters and crews, were working hard. "It is not a fire out of control but it is not controlled entirely either. We are somewhere in the middle," he said. He confirmed earlier reports that the fire covered an area of 200 hectares and it "grew a little beyond" this area now. He cited uneven terrain as one of the challenges to extinguishing efforts but highlighted that temperatures and strong winds have been bigger challenges affecting their work.
He said Qatar and Azerbaijan have offered helicopters and an airplane to help the efforts and soon, the number of aerial vehicles responding to the fire would be 61.
The minister also dismissed allegations that the burned areas would be opened for development. "We lost 50,500 hectares of land to fires last year but so far, 28,500 hectares of land were restored (to be used as forests). We will continue the planting work," he said.
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who accompanied Kirişçi at a press meeting in the area, said Turkey was in a good place in the world in response to disasters but faced "a mindset seeking chaos," referring to criticism of the government over response to the fire. "They claimed we lacked airplanes and helicopters but you can see them here. No one has a right to spoil the morale of people fighting the fire here," he said.
Soylu also said an investigation into the cause of the fire was underway and identified "a culprit" who will be named "soon."
Birgül Çamurluoğlu, one of the evacuees, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday that they witnessed crews working hard to put out the fire. "Our house is not damaged but they escorted us out. The fire advances fast because of winds," she said.
Ziya Şimşek, another evacuated local, said the fire spread because aircrews could not operate at night. "The response was fast and we've seen everyone were mobilized. Flames came near to my home but it wasn't affected. We are fine now and we hope it will be over soon," he said. Bahar Dev, another evacuee, said they soaked the ground around their house with water to make a barrier against fire. "Crews put out the flames near here and I see them everywhere. There are too many fake news but I can tell you that the response to the fire is good. Helicopters, airplanes flew all day to put out the fire," she said.
Elsewhere, crews spent the night in the forest, occasionally sleeping on the ground as new workers took over extinguishing shift. "I barely slept since I came here and don't want to sleep before flames are gone," Tuncay Sakar, a forestry worker who arrived from the western province of Balıkesir said. Sakar said he was "saddened" to see social media posts criticizing the response. "This is a rough place with slopes but we do our best. We are even going through inaccessible places. Everyone, from workers to locals and professional firefighters, is doing their best here," he said.
Levent Çelik, a volunteer, said he was working as a sailor in Marmaris and joined fellow sailors owning boats in the town. "We were trained by forestry service for fire response in the past and are here to help firefighters. Our love for this country motivates us," he said.
