Over 500 hectares burnt as forest fire rages for second day in Turkey's İzmir

A forest fire that broke out on July 1 in the Menderes district of the Aegean province of İzmir has raged for a second day, with authorities struggling to get the flames under control amid shifting winds. Over 500 hectares of forest land have been damaged, according to the head of the forestry general directorate İsmail Üzmez.

A fire broke out around the Deli Ömerli neighborhood junction at 12:55 p.m. on July 1, amid 19-percent humidity and hot weather above the seasonal norm, Üzmez told reporters on July 2.

"Our teams intervened in the fire within 10 minutes, but it spread as the wind was blowing 45 kilometers per hour and we could not get the fire under control. When we felt the fire had spread, we dispatched all of the country's forces to the site, including air vehicles, planes and helicopters," he added.

Nine helicopters, four planes and 128 firefighters have been working to extinguish the fire along with a total of 2,000 firefighting staff.

"The fact that the wind is occasionally shifting is what gives us problems because you're taking all kinds of measures while the wind is shifting somewhere else. It is not like a city fire; it is more unstable," Üzmez said.

Despite difficulties, the extinguishing process was slightly better on July 2 compared to the previous day, he noted.

"The extinguishing works are making progress because the weather conditions are not as bad as yesterday. I think over 500 hectares of land have been damaged overall," Üzmez said.

He also urged citizens not to light fires for at least two weeks until weather conditions are forecast to return to seasonal norms.

Meanwhile, a firefighting helicopter crashed into the nearby Tahtalı Dam during water filling works early on...