Forest fire in Marmaris! An area the size of 3500 football fields was destroyed

Helicopters and planes took off again this morning to put out the fire. Flames threaten Garbage, Yesilvadi Neighborhood and Okluk Bay. Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Osman Gürün said that 2,884 hectares of land, equivalent to approximately 3,500 football fields, burned down.

The fire, which started in the Bördübet District of Muğla’s Marmaris district on Tuesday evening, continues on its third day.

It was announced yesterday that 14 planes and 20 helicopters responded to the fire. Today, this number has been updated to 27 helicopters and 14 aircraft. According to the statement of the General Directorate of Forestry, a total of 2604 personnel, 253 water tanks, 26 water tankers and other public vehicles, a total of 598 vehicles, 17 OGM dozers, 53 construction machines, 20 TOMAs belonging to the police and gendarmerie are working in the region.

Temperature 27 degrees, humidity 50 percent

According to the information received from the General Directorate of Forestry, the wind in the region is 23 kilometers per hour, the temperature is 27 degrees on average, and the humidity is 50 percent on average.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Vahit Kirişçi, announced that the fire was largely under control at around 11:00 on Tuesday. However, the fire, which expanded after this statement, threatened some houses, especially in the Değirmenyani District.

While the teams participated in the extinguishing efforts throughout the night, intense efforts were made to prevent the flames from descending on the Marmaris-Datça highway. While some houses were evacuated, measures were increased in the region with the support of soldiers and police. The fire, which continued to expand throughout the night with the effect of the wind, started again with the first light of the morning.

The fire, which continued throughout the night, moved towards the east of Marmaris. Intensive efforts are being made to bring the fire under control, which is still effective intermittently in the Değirmenyanı and Yeşil Town neighborhoods and in an area close to the Marmaris garbage dump. These neighborhoods are located in an area very close to the Presidential Summer Palace in Okluk Bay.

27 helicopters, 14 aircraft

According to the statement made by the Muğla Regional Forestry Directorate, with the first light of the morning, 7 more helicopters from the gendarmerie were included in yesterday’s number, and 27 helicopters and 14 aircraft are participating in the extinguishing efforts. It has been reported that 13 of the 14 aircraft are Air Tracktor aircraft with high maneuverability in rough terrain conditions, capable of throwing 3 tons of retardant (a substance used to slow down or stop the spread of fire and reduce its intensity) at a time. It was also stated that the other aircraft was an Antonov tanker fire extinguisher aircraft.

The teams rest their tired bodies sometimes in a vehicle, sometimes on a four square meter rug, sometimes on the ground. After a two-hour rest break, the struggle continues from where it left off.

While no one is allowed to enter the fire areas except the officers and people with AFAD certificates, hundreds of volunteers are making great efforts to extinguish the fire and for the citizens in the residential areas.

In particular, urgently needed food, drink, shelter and extinguishing equipment, as well as generators, batteries, hand and head flashlights, all kinds of materials from burn ointment to painkillers, are provided instantly by sharing them on the “Fire Aid” WhatsApp social media account, which was established in the forest fires last year.

It was announced that the Marmaris Chamber of Commerce took action and prepared some hotels for accommodation for those who were evacuated from their homes due to the flames in the Değirmenyanı region.

Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Osman Gürün said that 2,884 hectares of land, equivalent to approximately 3,500 football fields, burned down. Speaking to Haber Global, Gurun used the following statements:

We are advantaged by the evening wind. But after certain hours in the morning, the wind starts. If we had intervened in the evening when the effect of the wind was low, we would have extinguished it already. We are fighting fire here. Everyone should help each other. We must make up for our shortcomings together. We have a lack of confidence. Nobody trusts anybody. From the helicopter to the arrivals, it is not believed until the numbers given. We need to fix this.