Wildfire in Tekirdağ Under Control

As a result of extensive firefighting efforts carried out over two days, the relentless flames were brought under contol in the morning of July 17.

The blaze erupted in farmland around 1:30 p.m. on July 15 and quickly advanced across a vast forested area, fueled by strong and unpredictable winds. The fire reached Gelibolu district in the neighboring province of Çanakkale and prompted the evacuation of four neighborhoods in Şarköy — İstiklal, Şenköy, Kızılcaterzi and Keçeli — displacing a total of 1,320 residents, according to Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı, who visited the affected areas in Şarköy.

Yumaklı added that efforts were hampered by high temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius and erratic winds up to 46 kilometers per hour, which caused the fire to spread over an area approximately 10 kilometers long and 3.5 kilometers wide.

Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum also provided damage assessments across several provinces. “In Çanakkale’s Ayvacık district, two houses and five barns were damaged. In Bolu’s Mudurnu, six houses, one barn and nine haylofts were affected. In Tekirdağ’s Şarköy, where firefighting efforts are ongoing, one videyard house and three haylofts have been severely damaged.”

Health authorities reported that 22 individuals, including three emergency personnel, were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation.

The firefighting operation has been one of the largest in the region this summer, involving 15 water-dropping aircraft, 19 helicopters, nearly 500 ground vehicles and 1,181 personnel.

Source: HDN