BREAKING: Firefighters reduce intensity of forest fires in Antalya and Muğla, Turkish forestry agency says

Fire crews continued fighting forest fires overnight in Antalya’s Serik district and Muğla’s Menteşe district, as Turkey’s General Directorate of Forestry said the intensity of both fires had fallen.

The fire in Serik’s Akbaş neighborhood, in the Kızılbölük area, began on Sept. 6. Five aircraft and 15 helicopters initially supported the response from the air, while 75 water tankers, three pieces of heavy machinery and about 450 personnel worked on the ground.

After darkness halted aerial operations, crews intensified the ground response. About 600 personnel worked through the night with 150 water tankers, construction machines and other firefighting vehicles.

Teams also faced difficult terrain and heavy smoke. One forest worker was affected by the smoke during the operation. Crews gave the worker first aid before taking the person to hospital by ambulance. The worker was reported to be in good condition.

Gendarmerie units established extensive security measures to allow firefighters to work safely. Commando units sent to the area also supported security operations, while gendarmerie personnel controlled access and helped prevent interruptions to the response.

Operations in Serik’s Akbaş neighborhood were coordinated from a fire management center. Serik District Governor Cemal Şahin, General Director of Forestry Bekir Karacabey and Antalya Regional Forestry Director Kemal Kayıran monitored the response there and assessed the fires’ progress in real time.

The forestry agency said ground crews had surrounded the flames at both fires. “Our aerial and ground response to the fires in the Menteşe and Serik districts continues. We are continuing our efforts with determination to bring both fires under control as soon as possible,” it said.

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Our aerial and ground response to the fires in the Menteşe and Serik districts continues. We are continuing our efforts with determination to bring both fires under control as soon as possible.