3 people lose their lives in forest fire in Çeşme, İzmir

A fire broke out for reasons yet to be determined in a forested area in the Deliklikoy neighborhood of Alaçatı.

Upon notification, 2 aircraft, 4 helicopters, 16 water tenders, 3 water supply vehicles, 3 bulldozers, and ground crews belonging to the İzmir Regional Directorate of Forestry were dispatched to the region.

Forest fire in Çeşme, İzmir https://t.co/AMsqWxFG4B pic.twitter.com/S5UiIiSW6r

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While the forest fire in the Delikli Koy area of İzmir's Çeşme district, which claimed the lives of 3 people, has been brought under control, İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban announced that 4 people have been taken into custody.

A statement came from İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban, who was conducting inspections in the region.

Governor Elban stated to members of the press, "Today, during work being carried out by our citizens in their gardens, a fire fell onto the grassy area, and the scrubland in the region began to ignite rapidly.

While our Forestry Organization, gendarmerie, AFAD, fire department, and other units were rapidly intervening in the fire in the region with 4 aircraft, 6 helicopters, 30 water tenders, and other heavy machinery on one side, the evacuation process was also initiated in the residential areas on the field on the other.

At the location where we are, in Alaçatı, there was information that 8 of our citizens were living in 4 houses that are permanent but visited during the summer season. Therefore, our gendarmerie, AFAD, and fire department came here to evacuate these citizens. When they arrived, the citizens had already left their homes. Thus, they immediately took 5 people and evacuated them from the scene. However, 3 people had left earlier, and those residents did not know which direction they had gone. As of 14.30, when the fire was completely extinguished and a field search was conducted, we unfortunately reached the bodies of 3 of our citizens," he said.

"4 PEOPLE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY"

Governor Elban stated, "During this time, our gendarmerie, AFAD, and fire department were constantly searching for our citizens while our forest helicopters were extinguishing the fire from the air, but they could not reach them. On the other hand, there are two more summer house complexes in the western region of the fire.

Again, our friends quickly prepared for evacuation to prevent the fire from spreading there. Thankfully, it was stopped before the fire reached there. There was no need to evacuate the citizens. Unfortunately, we were able to evacuate 5 of our 8 citizens here. However, 3 of our citizens who had fled into the terrain in a panic to save themselves could not be reached despite the searches by our teams, and unfortunately, their lifeless bodies were found. 4 people who were working in the garden have been taken into custody by our gendarmerie."

THOSE WHO DIED IN THE FOREST FIRE WERE A FATHER, SON, AND NIECE

The lifeless bodies of Mesut Coşkunöz (68), Hilmi Coşkunöz (40), and Mine Elmas (35), whose escape routes were unknown, were found during the field work.

It was learned that those who lost their lives were father and son, and that Mine Elmas was the daughter of Mesut Coşkunöz's sister.

After the examinations by the crime scene investigation teams and the prosecutor, the bodies were taken from the region and moved to the İzmir Forensic Medicine Institute morgue, and it was learned that the investigation into the incident, in which 4 people were taken into custody, is ongoing.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The fire occurred around 11.40 in the forested area in the Delikli Koy area of Alaçatı neighborhood in Çeşme district. Upon the fire report by citizens on the beach and in the surrounding area, 2 aircraft, 4 helicopters, 16 water tenders, 3 water supply vehicles, 3 bulldozers, and 1 ground crew belonging to the İzmir Regional Directorate of Forestry were dispatched to the region. The fire was brought under control with aerial and ground intervention, and cooling work was initiated.