Antalya is sounding the alarm – the first forest fires have been recorded in the province this year. While they are being extinguished in the mountainous areas of this resort province, in particular, according to Turkish media, a forest fire broke out in the area of Gundogmush. Despite the typically hot and dry summer weather in Antalya, fire experts fear a repeat of last year’s nightmare, which frightened all tourists: then burned several hotels, and if many of the smoke-soaked hotels, vacationers were evacuated en masse.
Currently, a fire broke out in the forest near the Pinarbashi intersection in the Gundogmush district. The reasons are still being clarified. Locals who saw the smoke rise reported a situation at the Emergency Call Center 112. Emergency services from the Gundogmus Forestry Department, the Antalya Municipality Fire Service, and firefighting teams from nearby areas were sent to the area. Firefighting work continues.
It will be recalled that last year forest fires in Turkey became a real disaster for resorts. Since the beginning of July, the fire has engulfed forests in the resort provinces of Antalya and Mugla, the fire has affected many settlements, “got” and hotels. A total of 120 fires were recorded in tourist areas, most of which affected the resorts of Marmaris and Bodrum, where tourists were evacuated from hotels. In total, more than 133 forest fires were recorded, while in previous years – from 2008 to 2020, more than 43 fires were recorded per season.
At the same time in Antalya is the typical weather of the Turkish summer – hot, dry and windy. The average daily temperature reaches +37 – and no precipitation. This weather is great for summer vacations – but, unfortunately, also contributes to the spread of forest fires.
Climatologists are also not encouraging – rather frighten hoteliers and tourists. According to them, Turkey will have to bear the main burden of natural disasters related to climate change and will suffer from these primarily tourist-favorite resorts – Antalya and neighboring countries.
Turkey has already been “attacked” by forest fires, floods, earthquakes, droughts, and sea snot, but it risks even more natural disasters if it does not resolutely resist climate change, the researchers say.