29 Aug Ship traffic continues as Turkey battles wildfires
Aerial vehicles swooped overhead, pouring gallons of water onto spreading grass fires this morning around Turkey’s Dardanelles Strait.
Fires, which were raging through the north and central parts of Turkey yesterday, are now under control, according to Ibrahim Ymakli, the Country’s Forestry Minister. The Minister addressed both the damage done to wildlife, whilst praising firefighter efforts for not allowing any lives to be lost.
“We have brought the fire under control before 48 hours were up. […] Our only consolation is that there has been no loss of life.”
North-bound ships have been allowed to resume transit across the Dardanelles, delivering much-needed supplies to local communities.
The ships will travel constantly throughout the day, underneath the aerial vehicles cooling the area, and strict supervision of the fire, to ensure the ships route is safe.
Timeline of Evacuation
Dry air, strong winds and high temperatures allowed fires to spread quickly along the Cannakale province.
Not long after this, on Tuesday, flames began swallowing homes and covering regions with thick smoke.
Since then, 90 people have suffered injuries from the fire, and 4,080 hectares (11861.06 acres) including forest and agricultural land have been lost to the flames.
No deaths have been reported.
1200 people from 11 villages have been evacuated from the path of the fire, expected to return to their homes in the coming days.