Forest fires in Turkey have claimed two lives, with the second victim reported on Tuesday in the western province of Izmir, as fires raged for a week in several regions, while a little-known group claiming ties to Kurdish militants said it was behind dozens of arsons, Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
The latest victim of the forest fires was excavator operator Ibrahim Demir, who died while fighting the flames in the Odemis district, the state news agency Anadolu reported.
Earlier, an 81-year-old bedridden man, who was alone at home in the same area, died when the fire reached his house, marking the first death since the fires began.
A group calling itself the "Children of Fire" claimed responsibility for "dozens of fires in six Turkish cities," according to a statement circulated online.
The group, about which little is known, claims to be linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Turkey, the United States, and the European Union have designated as a terrorist group. The PKK, which in May announced the cessation of its 40-year insurgency and disbandment, has not commented on this claim.
Firefighters continued to battle the blaze with helicopters and planes dropping water over the mountainous terrain in Izmir, while authorities closed some roads to the resort town of Cesme on the Aegean Sea, Anadolu reported.
Television channels showed footage of flames engulfing a main highway as water tankers arrived.
Forest fires in western Turkey have damaged about 200 homes, and alternative housing has been provided to the victims, said the country's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. About 50,000 people were temporarily evacuated earlier this week from areas where fires are raging due to high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.
New fires also broke out on Thursday in the southern resort province of Antalya and in forested areas near Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, Anadolu reported. Authorities managed to contain several fires.
According to CNN Turk, Turkey's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakli, stated that 624 forest fires have broken out in the last week. Yumakli reported that 621 out of 624 fires have been brought under control and that 9 large fires are currently being fought.
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Turkey, Greece, and other Mediterranean countries are in an area that scientists call a "wildfire hotspot" — fires are common during hot and dry summers. They have become more destructive in recent years due to rapid climate change.