Aysel Erbaş, 57, a resident of Hatay, southern Türkiye, whose house was severely damaged during the Feb. 6, Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake, has faced a second tragedy as a recent wildfire destroyed her belongings while she was preparing to move into her newly built home.
The wildfire broke out on June 30 in the Karaali neighborhood and spread rapidly to six nearby districts due to strong winds. Although firefighting teams have now brought the fire under control, cooling operations and damage assessments are ongoing in the affected areas.
During inspections at her home, Erbaş revealed that her storage shed and tent, which held many of her household items, were burned down by the flames. She explained to reporters how she was preparing to settle into her new home when the fire suddenly erupted.
“I was cleaning the kitchen, closing windows to prevent dust, when I saw smoke everywhere and had to run outside. I lost my phone and all my belongings inside the house. I could only put out the sparks with the small amount of water I had. Everyone was trying to survive amid the fire, but thankfully, some neighbors came to help. I was later taken to an ambulance after possibly inhaling smoke,” she said.
Erbaş expressed deep sadness over losing her belongings just as she was about to start a new chapter following the earthquake, stating: “If the fire hadn’t happened, I would have moved in this week. Now we’ve experienced another disaster. It’s God’s will.”
Her brother-in-law, Ismail Erbaş, who also lost his storage shed and whose house was damaged by smoke, described the ferocity of the fire and the challenges faced by local residents and firefighters.
“The wind was so strong that even though we tried to extinguish the fire ourselves, it kept reigniting. Firefighters arrived with many teams, but the wind drove the flames quickly across the mountain, burning everything in its path within half an hour. Everyone did their part, but the fire’s power was overwhelming,” he said.
Both Erbaş and her brother-in-law expressed gratitude to the firefighting teams and volunteers who worked tirelessly to control the blaze.
Local authorities continue damage evaluations and support efforts for those affected by the wildfire, as the community strives to recover from back-to-back hardships.
