The forest fire, which started in Izmir and spread to Aydin, was brought under control because of intensive work by air and land teams.
According to the information obtained, the fire broke out in the forest area in the Pamucak area of Izmir’s Selçuk district on Saturday, June 29, at around 17:00, and quickly surrounded the entire region and reached Aydın’s Kusadasi district.
While hundreds of acres of land burned in the fire, extinguishing efforts from air and land during the day continued with land and night vision helicopters after dark. Support teams were sent to the region from surrounding provinces and districts. The extinguishing efforts in the region, where non-governmental organizations and volunteer citizens were mobilized as well as the teams, were successful. With the first light of the new day, fire extinguishing helicopters and planes started their activities again. The fire was brought under control because of the intensive work of the teams from the air and on the ground. Teams are continuing their cooling efforts regarding the fire, which has spread over a wide area. Source: Kusadasi Haber.
On Saturday 29th June:
HOTEL AND HOUSES WERE EVACUATED IN KUŞADASI.
Upon notice, 4 planes, 5 helicopters, 18 sprinklers, 5 water supply vehicles and 5 dozers affiliated with the Izmir Regional Directorate of Forestry were dispatched.
Due to the fire moving towards Kusadasi with the influence of the wind, 2 hotels and houses in Bayraklıdede District were evacuated. It was learned that those staying here were directed to other hotels in the surrounding area.
In addition, the animal shelter belonging to the Selçuk Municipality was evacuated. The animals were sent to the shelters of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Source: Kusadasi Olay
On The Ground in Kusadasi
A group of Irish tourists who had been attending a hosted BBQ in Adagol Park, near Kustur Beach found themselves stranded however, thankfully the local police came to the rescue and transferred them back to their accommodation in Kusadasi Centre late evening.
Meanwhile, in Kusadasi itself, many foreigners with homes in the town and surrounding areas became quite concerned as smoke was filling the air and as one resident reported she woke up to find her apartment filled with smoke. Her home is upper ground in the Ege Mah area off the Aydin/Selçuk Main Road.
The Animal Rights federation in Turkey went out to the area after the fire disaster to scan the woodland areas for surviving animals and continue to do so.
A representative from “Paws and Claws” a local animal charity in Kusadasi, took to the roads when safe to do so on Sunday morning heading toward Selçuk and Adagol, to check for surviving animals in need of aid but saw none. The representative stated that many street dogs lived in the area previously.
Many local farmers and others went with tractors trucks and diggers to assist the firefighters and others who worked hard through the night and early morning to stop the blaze from reaching Kusadasi centre.
Sunday June 30th:
Kusadasi Mayor Ömer Günel, together with CHP Aydın Deputy Bülent Tezcan and municipal bureaucrats, inspected the forest areas damaged by the fire in Selçuk and Kusadasi. Stating that the fire was extinguished with timely and correct intervention before it caused a bigger disaster, Mayor Ömer Günel said, “We will erase the traces of this disaster together.”
Mayor Ömer Günel first went to Arvalya Forest Camp in Selçuk, where the fire started. Here, Mayor Ömer Günel met with Selçuk Mayor Filiz Ceritoğlu Sengel and received information about the latest situation from the authorities. Mayor Ömer Günel later visited the teams continuing their cooling efforts and thanked them for their dedication in extinguishing the fire.
Stating that more effective measures should be taken to prevent forest fires, CHP Aydın Deputy Bülent Tezcan said, “First of all, I would like to say that we are very sorry. Tomorrow, our chairman Özgür Özel will also visit the region. Unfortunately, forest fires occur in Turkey, especially in the summer months.” “The burning of the forests here hurt us. Of course, it is important to extinguish the fires after they start, but now we have to take more effective measures. I wish the people of Selçuk and Kusadasi a speedy recovery and thank all the teams who contributed to extinguishing the fire.”
“THESE FORESTS ARE OURS”
Pointing out that the fire was extinguished with timely and correct intervention without causing a bigger disaster, Mayor Ömer Günel said, “A total of 350 hectares of forest land was damaged in the fire. 94.5 hectares of this is in Kusadasi.
Unfortunately, a forest area that feeds all of us has disappeared. Our Aydın Governorship, our Metropolitan Municipality and the municipalities of the surrounding provinces and districts were here from the very first moment and worked in cooperation. Kusadasi Municipality employees and non-governmental organizations were also mobilized to extinguish the fire. If such an organized work had not been done, the fire would probably have been much stronger. Of course, we have duties from now on. We will work together to green the area and turn it into a forest. We will work hand in hand with Selçuk Municipality, our Metropolitan Municipality and our state, and I call on everyone to support us in this regard. ” He said. Source: https://www.kusadasiolay.com/