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İzmir fire lays waste to 700 hectares
As the fire progressed toward the village of Eski Köy, the Seferihisar Municipality issued a warning requesting that villagers evacuate their homes. The Doğakent, Saklıkent and Derya housing complexes in Ömür were also evacuated.
Eyewitnesses said that when the fire first broke out, they tried to extinguish it, but it went out of control due to the wind, and then the gendarmerie came and sent them away. Villagers have complained that their livestock died in the fire.
Forestry General Director Osman Kahveci, İzmir Governor Cahit Kıraç, İzmir Mayor Aziz Kocaoğlu and Seferihisar Mayor Tunç Soyer also helped with the firefighting efforts.
Kahveci made a statement about the progress of firefighting efforts and noted that the firefighting teams tried to contain the fire through the night and had managed to do so by early morning.
He said 700 hectares of land were laid waste by the fire and that the firefighting efforts were hampered by strong winds.
Maintaining that they mobilized their firefighting capability to minimize the loss of life and property, Kahveci reported that the teams were working on post-fire checks and that while the fire had been completely extinguished, this did not mean that it would not reignite.
He added that the Seferihisar fire was the third biggest fire İzmir has seen this year. "I hope this will be the last. In addition to the current fire, major fires have erupted in 11 locations throughout the country this year. Of them, six were in İzmir and its vicinity. A small spark may lead to a big fire in a few minutes. This region is quite susceptible to fires. The Aegean and Mediterranean regions are prone to fires, particularly in these hot, dry months," he said.
The forestry general director noted that this fire had been a large one that caused them concern. "The wind was strong, and the grass was abundant. There were also many settlements in the region. The worst time for a fire is the night. The teams were fighting the blaze, but visibility was very poor. We had to send our teams into smoke and fire-dominated areas, which is very risky. Yet, our teams managed to perform their duties successfully. All through the night, we tried to get the fire under control. Now, I can say that it is fully contained," he said. Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
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