Firefighting crews continued efforts Tuesday to bring under control a forest fire that started Monday evening in Antalya’s Aksu district in southern Türkiye and spread to nearby Kepez.
The fire began in a forested area near the Karaöz neighborhood in Aksu and spread toward Kepez as strong winds pushed the flames across a wider area.
The blaze affected areas around the Karaöz, Hatipler, Yeşilkaraman, Kızıllı and Çamlıca neighborhoods.
As a precaution, the Northern Ring Road and part of the Antalya-Isparta highway were temporarily closed to traffic. The road was reopened under controlled conditions Monday morning.
The fire reached the Antalya-Isparta highway, but crews prevented the flames from crossing the road through intensive firefighting efforts.
Aerial operations began early Tuesday, with five aircraft and more than 10 helicopters joining the response. Around 110 firefighting vehicles and more than 600 personnel are also working to contain the blaze.
Authorities evacuated 254 homes in the two districts because of the fire.
In Aksu, 40 homes in Yeşilkaraman, 10 in Karaöz, and 29 homes and 18 barns in Yumuk were evacuated. Another 175 homes were evacuated in the Çamlıca neighborhood of Kepez.
Teams are continuing efforts to move animals from areas affected by the fire.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) also deployed a mobile coordination truck to the area.
Firefighting teams from the AFAD provincial directorates in Konya, Isparta and Burdur, as well as teams from the municipalities of Konya, Karaman and Isparta and the Isparta Regional Directorate of Forestry, are supporting the operation.
Mobile base station vehicles were also deployed after disruptions to mobile communication networks in the area.
The footage showed large sections of the once-green forest covered in black and gray after being burned by the flames.
Meanwhile, in Adana, southern Türkiye, firefighting crews continued efforts to bring under control a forest fire that spread across Kozan district, while another fire in the area was brought under control through aerial and ground operations.
The fire started for an unknown reason in a rural area of Doğanalanı neighborhood and later spread toward Enizçakırı neighborhood.
Authorities deployed three aircraft, nine helicopters, two drones, one TOMA riot control vehicle, 55 firefighting vehicles, 14 water tankers, four initial response vehicles, seven pieces of heavy machinery and two fire engines, with a total of 112 vehicles and 476 personnel taking part in the response.
While crews were fighting the fire, smoke was also reported in a forested area around Dağılcak in the Düzağaç neighborhood.
Teams sent to the area brought the fire under control through aerial and ground operations.
Efforts continued to contain the fire in Doğanalanı and Enizçakırı.
Authorities evacuated 40 homes in Enizçakırı as a precaution as the firefighting operation continued.
The Adana Governor’s Office said fires that broke out in the Çorlu neighborhood of Karaisalı district, the Mansurlu neighborhood of Feke district and the Dağılcak area of the Düzağaç neighborhood in Kozan had also been brought under control.
Extinguishing and cooling operations continued, with approximately 132 hectares (326 acres) of forest estimated to have been damaged in the fires.
Investigations were launched to determine the causes of the fires and remain ongoing.
