16.07.2025 19:42
The forest fire that started yesterday in the Şarköy district of Tekirdağ has been ongoing for more than 25 hours. Due to the wind's influence, the fire has spread over a large area and has also reached the Gelibolu district of Çanakkale, leading to the closure of the Çanakkale-Malkara Highway. Teams are making great efforts to bring the fire under control before nightfall.
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In the İstiklal neighborhood of Şarköy district in Tekirdağ, the fight against the fire that started in agricultural land and spread to the forest has entered its 25th hour.
FLAMES REACHED GELİBOLU The fire, which broke out for an unknown reason and spread over a wide area due to the wind, has reached the rural area of Kavakköy in the Gelibolu district of Çanakkale.
A LARGE NUMBER OF TEAMS ARE INTERVENING The fire, which crossed the Çanakkale border, is being brought under control with the efforts of 15 planes, 19 helicopters, 76 water tankers, 4 construction machines, and 509 personnel.
WIND IS MAKING THE FIGHT AGAINST THE FLAMES MORE DIFFICULT Although the wind speed has decreased compared to yesterday, it is still making the fight difficult. The wind, which is blowing at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, is expected to decrease a bit more in the evening hours. In the district where the air temperature is measured at 32 degrees, humidity is around 40 percent. Due to the change in wind direction, flames are rising again in some areas that were under control.
3 NEIGHBORHOODS EVACUATED, 4 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED Due to the fire, the neighborhoods of Şenköy, Kızılcaterzi, and Kocali in Şarköy have been evacuated as a precaution, and 4 people affected by smoke have been taken to the hospital.
HIGHWAY CLOSED TO TRAFFIC The Çanakkale-Malkara Highway, which is approaching the flames, has been closed to traffic due to the dense smoke that has reduced visibility in the area. In the region where teams are continuing their intense intervention, vehicle drivers are not allowed to pass through the Kavakköy area.
GOVERNOR SOYTÜRK: WE WANT TO CONTROL THE FIRE BEFORE NIGHTFALL Tekirdağ Governor Recep Soytürk and General Director of Forestry Bekir Karacabey are managing the operations from AFAD's Mobile Coordination Center in the area. Governor Soytürk stated in a press conference that the speed of the wind and its constant change in direction have made it difficult to control the fire.
Indicating that the weather conditions are better than yesterday, Soytürk said: "Not all air vehicles come to the fire at once. Because they have fuel supply needs, and some may have malfunctions. They come one by one to intervene in the fire. While some are refueling, others continue or repair any malfunctions. The number of allocated air vehicles increased from 21 to 27, and then to 34. Air vehicles have come to Şarköy from almost every place in Turkey where there are no fires and where helicopters or planes are available. We are talking about 15 planes and 19 helicopters. Just now, when we checked the system, a total of 19 air vehicles were working to extinguish the fire. Everyone is showing extraordinary effort. Almost all personnel have not slept for 24 hours, intervening in the fire. They are doing more than their best. I am grateful to all of them. All institutions of the state, especially our Ministry, are closely monitoring the fire. We want to bring the fire under control as soon as possible, preferably before nightfall. The fire on the Yeniköy ridges has spread towards the highway, so the regional directorate temporarily closed that area for safety reasons due to the dense smoke. But there is no problem. Because there is a 300-meter stubble in between, and we have measures to extinguish that area, and we also have air vehicles. Kavakköy is on the borders of Çanakkale, but according to our information, there is no significant problem there either."
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