Technology and Science · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Wildfires Rage Across Antalya, Türkiye, Evacuating 720 People After Strong Winds
Evacuations are underway in Antalya as wildfires threaten homes and resorts. Strong winds hampered firefighting as hundreds of firefighters and air support deployed.
Reported fatalities and injuries.
4 of 5 outlets skipped it: fire threatened industrial facilities and approached a concrete plant.
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One outlet mentions smoke exposure while another focuses on property damage.
Antalya wildfire surge
Wildfires burning across Antalya, Türkiye entered a second day on Tuesday as crews fought flames from the air and ground after strong winds pushed fires through forested areas in Aksu, Kepez and Serik.
“Wildfires continued to burn in Türkiye’s southern provinces of Antalya and Adana on Sept. 8”
In Antalya’s Aksu district, a fire that broke out in the Karaöz area spread rapidly under winds reaching 30 kilometers per hour, advancing toward residential areas and eventually reaching the Döşemealtı district.
Authorities evacuated 254 homes and 720 people in Aksu and neighboring Kepez, while further evacuations were underway in Yeşilkaraman.
Smoke and ash from the blaze reached Antalya city center, and power outages affected almost 3,000 subscribers in the area.
The General Directorate of Forestry said fires in Antalya’s Serik, Kayseri’s Yahyalı, and Adana’s Karaisalı and Feke districts had been brought under control, with cooling operations continuing.
Evacuations and firefighting
In Turkey’s Antalya province, residents and animals began evacuating as a major forest fire spread rapidly because of strong northeasterly winds, and the fire threatened nearby settlements and industrial facilities.
The fire started the previous day at around 4:25 p.m. in the Karaöz area, and Antalya Deputy Mayor Büşra Özdemir said, "The strong wind is contributing to the rapid spread of the fire."
Özdemir reported that the municipality mobilized all available resources, including new fire trucks that had not yet been registered and were put into service without license plates.
A total of 866 people were involved in extinguishing the fire, along with 149 fire tankers, seven TOMA water cannons, 25 pieces of heavy equipment and 54 other vehicles.
Rescuers created a protective perimeter around a concrete plant and used equipment to supply water to prevent flames from spreading to the facility.
Damage, road closures, and response
Türkiye Today said strong winds fanned Antalya fires, damaging homes, greenhouses and farmland, and it described firefighters working through the night with water tenders and heavy machinery before aerial operations resumed at first light.T
“Authorities temporarily closed the Northern Ring Road and part of the Antalya-Isparta highway”
It reported that in Serik, five homes were left unusable and three people were affected by smoke, while numerous plastic greenhouses and agricultural areas were also damaged as the fire spread rapidly under strong winds.
The fire in Aksu broke out near the Karaoz area at around 4:25 p.m. local time and later spread toward the boundaries of Kepez and Dosemealti, reaching as far as the Antalya-Isparta highway.
Authorities temporarily closed the Northern Ring Road and part of the Antalya-Isparta highway as a precaution, and it said the road was reopened under controlled conditions on Tuesday morning.
In Serik, Sarabali neighborhood head Mehmet Emin Ozen said, "Three fires broke out at the same time in our neighborhood," as gendarmerie teams introduced security measures and residents were moved away from threatened locations.