Third day of forest fire in Marmaris
A forest fire which started at the same time at three separate points at 20.00 on Tuesday evening, is ongoing in Marmaris. Helicopters and planes took off again this morning to extinguish the fire. Flames threaten the Çöplük, Yeşilvadi Neighborhood and Okluk Bay. Mayor of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Osman Gürün said that 2 thousand 884 hectares of area, which is equivalent to about 3 thousand 500 football fields, was burned.
It was announced that 14 aircraft and 20 helicopters were responding to the fire yesterday. Today this number has been updated to 27 helicopters, 14 aircraft. According to the statement of the General Directorate of Forestry, a total of 2604 personnel, 253 sprinkler trucks, 26 water tankers and other public vehicles, as well as 598 vehicles, 53 work machines, 17 OGM dozers, 20 TOMAS belonging to the police and gendarmerie work in the region.
TEMPERATURE IS 27 DEGREES, HUMIDITY IS 50 PERCENT
According to information received from the General Directorate of Forestry, the wind in the region is 23 km per hour., the temperature averages 27 degrees, and the humidity averages 50 percent.
MINISTER SAYS “FIRE LARGELY UNDER CONTROL”
Agriculture and Forestry Minister announced that the fire had been largely contained at about 11:00 on Tuesday. However, after this statement, the fire, which also expanded, threatened some houses, especially in the Değirmenyanı Neighborhood.
Intense efforts were made to prevent the flames from descending to the Marmaris-Datça highway while the teams participated in the extinguishing efforts during the night. Some houses were evacuated, while measures were increased in the region with the support of soldiers and police. Crews started fighting the fire which continued to expand overnight due to the effect of the wind from the air again again by the first lights of the morning.
The fire, which continued overnight, moved to the east of Marmaris. Currently, intensive efforts are being made to control the fire in the Değirmenyan and Yeşil Belde neighborhoods and in an area close to the Marmaris landfill. These neighborhoods are also located in an area quite close to the Presidential Summer Palace in Okluk Bay.
27 HELICOPTERS PARTICIPATING IN 14 AIRCRAFT
According to a statement from the Muğla Regional Forestry Directorate, 7 more helicopters from the gendarmerie were included in yesterday’s number from the air and 27 helicopters and 14 aircraft are participating in the extinguishing efforts with the first lights of the morning today.
