Death Toll In Wildfires That Hit Southern Turkey Rises To 4

The death toll in a string of wildfires raging in southern Turkey rose to four, officials said, as fire crews continued to battle blazes that burned down homes and forced people to evacuate settlements and beach resorts.

Firefighters were still tackling wildfires in 14 locations in six provinces in Turkey’s Mediterranean and southern Aegean region, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters. A total of 57 other wildfires that broke out amid strong winds and scorching heat have been brought under control since Wednesday, he said.

The worst fires were in the Manavgat and Akseki regions, in Antalya province, where strong winds pushed the fire toward settlements on Wednesday. An 82-year-old man and a married couple died, more than 50 people were hospitalized and dozens of homes were incinerated. More than 25 neighborhoods or villages were evacuated.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old volunteer died in another fire near the resort of Marmaris, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Antalya late on Thursday, raising the death toll in the fires to four. State-run Anadolu Agency said the man was taking drinking water to firefighters, but was involved in a motorcycle crash and perished in the fire.

The mountainside fire in Marmaris briefly threatened holiday homes and hotels on Thursday, while guests at a luxury hotel in the Aegean beach resort of Guvercinlik, near the town of Bodrum, were evacuated in boats, reports said.

Azerbaijan announced it would send 500 emergency response personnel, helicopters and other equipment to help Turkey, a close ally, battle the blazes. Erdogan said Azerbaijan would also provide an amphibious firefighting aircraft, in addition to planes sent from Russia and Ukraine. Neighboring Greece also offered help.

Authorities on Thursday launched investigations into the fires. Fahrettin Altun, a top aide to Erdogan, said those responsible will have to account for the attacks against nature and forests.

The mayor for Marmaris said he couldn’t rule out sabotage as a cause for the fire there.

Erdogan said on Friday that the country’s Interior Ministry and intelligence services were engaged in an intense effort to shed light on the fires.

Wildfires are common in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions during the arid summer months, though some previous forest fires have been blamed on arson or outlawed Kurdish militants.

In other provinces, authorities declared a ban on people entering forests in a bid to prevent more fires.