BOZALAN (AP) – For the sixth straight day, Turkish firefighters were battling Monday to control the blazes tearing through forests near Turkey’s beach destinations in Bodrum.
Fed by strong winds and scorching temperatures, the fires that began Wednesday have left eight people dead and forced residents and tourists to flee vacation resorts in a flotilla of small boats.
Many villagers lost homes and farm animals and had trouble breathing amid the heavy smoke.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said crews were still tackling seven fires in the coastal provinces of Antalya and Mugla that are popular tourist areas. Other active fires were in Isparta, 380 kilometers (236 miles) northeast, in Denizli province in southwest Turkey.
Another fire in Tunceli, in southeast Turkey, was contained on Monday, the minister said. In all, 129 fires that broke out in over 30 provinces since Wednesday have been extinguished.
“We are going through days when the heat is above 40 C (104 degrees Fahrenheit), where the winds are strong and humidity is extremely low,” Pakdemirli said. “We are struggling under such difficult conditions.”
At least 13 settlements in Mugla were fully or partially evacuated, the minister said.
Selcuk Sanli let his two cows lose to fend for themselves, put his family’s most treasured belongings in a car and fled his home as a wildfire approached his village near Turkey’s beach resort of Bodrum, one of thousands fleeing flames that have coated the skies with a thick yellow haze.
He returned to check on his house Monday in Bozalan only to find that the fire had flared again.
“Property is an important part of life but life itself comes first,” he said as he prepared to leave his home once again.
An evacuation order was also issued for the town of Turunc, near the seaside resort of Marmaris in Mugla province. People fled on small boats, carrying suitcases.