30.06.2025 14:25
The firefighting efforts continue from the air and on the ground for the forest fires that broke out in the Seferihisar and Menderes districts of İzmir. Many houses and vehicles have been reduced to ashes in the fires in the region, and 5 neighborhoods have been evacuated. While gendarmerie commandos, special operations police, and forest rangers continue their ground patrol duties, the images of citizens watching their homes engulfed in flames from a distance, in tears, are heartbreaking.
In the Kuyucak neighborhood of Menderes district in İzmir and the Doğanbey neighborhood of Seferihisar district, ground efforts continued throughout the night to control the forest fires that started yesterday. With the first light of day, aerial intervention efforts against the forest fires were resumed. The fires affecting Menderes and Seferihisar are being fought with 4 planes, 14 helicopters, and ground teams.
345-HOUSE HOLIDAY SITE TURNED TO ASHES
In the fires in the region, many houses and vehicles were turned to ashes, and 5 neighborhoods were evacuated. According to initial reports, many houses in the site became unusable, and 2 vehicles were damaged. In the fire that started yesterday in the Doğanbey area of Seferihisar, many houses in the Doğankent Site, which has 345 households, were damaged.
In the forest fire that grew due to strong winds in Seferihisar, the flames advanced towards the Doğankent Site, where holiday homes are located, during the night hours. Following the decision, the site with 345 houses was quickly evacuated. The İzmir Regional Directorate of Forestry and fire brigade teams intervened in the fire.
Fire brigade teams are continuing cooling efforts in the burning houses. In the Kuyucak neighborhood, the forest fire that started yesterday could not be intervened by helicopters due to strong winds, and evacuation procedures were initiated in many settlements in the region.
MANY VEHICLES TURNED TO ASHES
The fire, which grew due to the wind, also spread to the Otokent Car Dealers Site in the Buca district. Citizens supporting the firefighting efforts are making efforts to prevent the flames from spreading to workplaces. Many people are trying to remove their vehicles from the fire zone. Security teams are also intervening in the fire with water cannon vehicles.
Many vehicles were burned and rendered unusable in the fire. Meanwhile, exit routes to the highway in the area where the fire occurred were closed. Efforts to control the fire are ongoing.
"WE HAD 40-YEAR MEMORIES, ALL TURNED TO ASHES"
A citizen named Müzehyyen Çağlar Güler, whose house was burned in the fire, expressed sadness over the loss of the house where her youth was spent. Güler said, "Our house is gone. First of all, we need to question why we did not take precautions individually. We all need to learn a lesson from this. We had 40-year memories, all turned to ashes. My youth was spent in this house. I can't even turn back and look," she said.
Yavuz Güler said, "We live in Seferihisar, my father-in-law and mother-in-law were in this house. We saw the smoke in the afternoon. They are also distressed, they are very old. After the smoke advanced, we evacuated them. We watched our house burn live on television. We had celebrated my daughter's and son's first birthdays here. They are now 30 and 32 years old. We had memories, all burned. I don't know if it could have been prevented, but fire burns where it falls," he said.
STRONG WINDS MAKE EXTINGUISHING EFFORTS DIFFICULT
A fire broke out for an undetermined reason in the forested area on the borders of Kuyucak in Menderes and Orhanlı neighborhoods in Seferihisar. Upon notification, teams from the General Directorate of Forestry were dispatched to the area. The teams are continuing their efforts to control the fire in the area affected by strong winds.
EVAQUATED NEIGHBORHOODS
Due to the fire, the neighborhoods of Atatürk, Cumhuriyet, Orhanlı, Payamlı, and Kavakdere in Seferihisar were evacuated. Some citizens in the Şöhretler Site in Cumhuriyet Neighborhood were evacuated from their homes by gendarmerie teams. The Social Events Intervention Vehicle (TOMA) also supported the firefighting efforts in the region.
Some citizens also used the clothes they had to fight the flames. Efforts to control the fire are ongoing.
COMMANDOS IN ACTION
The Muğla Provincial Gendarmerie Command, Provincial Police Department, and Forest Regional Directorate teams have intensified their inspections and controls against the increasing forest fires across the country. To prevent any risks that could cause the fire, gendarmerie commandos, special operations police, and forest protection officers continue their ground patrol duties. The efforts are also supported from the air with drones and helicopters.