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Yesterday a forest fire broke out in the Bethlehem district of Hatay. The flames that grew with the effect of the wind spread to the districts of Iskenderun and Arsuz. Although the aerial response to the fire was suspended due to the intensification of the wind, the ground intervention of the fire department and forest management teams continued until today. On the other hand, the forest fires in Kahramanmaraş and Tarsus are being responded to.
The forest fire that broke out in the Bethlehem district of Hatay and spread to both neighborhoods in the İskenderun district was intervened by air and land. Citizens, who saw smoke coming out of the forest area in the Sarımazı district of the Bethlehem district, informed the authorities.
Following the notification, teams from the Kahramanmaraş Regional Forestry Directorate sent a helicopter, a water tank, a water tank and a bulldozer to the region. Some settlements were evacuated by security forces for precautionary reasons. A building and the vehicles in front of it were damaged by fire. The flames spread to a warehouse area with the Şeker and İsmet İnönü neighborhoods in the İskenderun district. The Belen-Iskenderun highway was also closed to traffic due to a fire.
MINISTER PAKDEMİRLİ: 70 PEOPLE AFFECTED
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli made a statement about the fires that broke out Friday at the Ministry’s Fire Management Center. Pakdemirli said the fire in Hatay started at around 10:15 am and that a second fire broke out near the same area around 1:00 pm, with the most experienced Ministry staff on site.
Pakdemirli said that they intervened in the fire with 2 planes, 6 helicopters, 130 sprinklers, 10 bulldozers and 500 people, they sent the Kartal helicopter, which dropped 15 tons of water, to the region, and that the aircraft will activate again at first light of the day. Expressing that the fire also affected the residential area, Pakdemirli said: “7 floors, 11 single-family homes, 14 workplaces, 8 factories, 4 vehicles, 3 warehouses, 35 beehives and 70 citizens were affected by the fire. Damage assessment studies will continue after the fire ends. Hopefully, with the early hours of the morning, we will continue to respond to fire in a much more controlled manner. We continue to follow the fire from here. ” I speak.
25 FIRES IN ONE DAY
Pakdemirli said that yesterday there were a total of 25 fires, 9 of them agricultural and 16 forest. “At this time, there is no fire that has not been taken under active control, except the Kahramanmaraş Andırın and Hatay fire.” I speak.
‘OUR FOREST ORGANIZATION HAS SOME CONCERNS AND DOUBTS’
Pakdemirli responded to the question about allegations of sabotage by terrorist organizations in the fire, “Our forestry organization also has some concerns and doubts about this. Our current job is to control and extinguish the fire. The Hatay Governorate continues the multi-faceted investigation into this. There are some statements that there are some eyewitnesses.”
INITIATED INVESTIGATION
On the other hand, it was reported that the Iskenderun Prosecutor General’s Office launched an investigation into the fire.
THE FIRE CONTINUES IN KAHRAMANARAŞ
On the other hand, the forest fire is being responded to in the Andırın district of Kahramanmaraş. Teams from the Kahramanmaraş Regional Forestry Directorate intervened in the fire that broke out in the field in the afternoon in the village of Ayşe Pınarı Musalar and grew quickly due to the effect of the wind.
Citizens also help with firefighting efforts supporting teams sent from Konya, Mersin, Malatya, Adıyaman, and Adana.
