Türkiye resumes efforts to extinguish major fire in Hatay Province

The entire aviation group resumed extinguishing efforts on Monday morning for a natural fire in the Hatay province in southeastern Türkiye, Turanews.kz reports.

The fire has been burning for over 24 hours and has already exceeded 200 hectares.

Local authorities have reported no casualties as a result of the fire. However, residents of the Belen county, which is the epicenter of the fire, have been evacuated. The firefighting operation is being led by Türkiye’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakli. He said that 30 units of aircraft (9 aircraft and 21 helicopters), as well as over 60 ground vehicles, are involved in the effort. Yumakli expects the fires to be contained within the next few hours.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. However, officials believe that it may have been started by a lightning strike. The fire has caused significant damage to vegetation and infrastructure in the area.

The Turkish government has declared a state of emergency in the Hatay province. This will allow the government to deploy additional resources to the area and expedite the recovery process.

The Hatay fire is the latest in a series of wildfires that have been sweeping across Türkiye in recent months. The fires have been caused by a combination of factors, including drought, high temperatures, and strong winds. The fires have caused widespread damage and have displaced thousands of people.