Forest fire in İzmir caused by cigarette butt: Kaşıkçı Neighborhood headman Ekrem Civelek speaks to 12punto

İlkcan Kemer

A fire broke out around 10:00 in a forest near Kaşıkçı Neighborhood in the Bergama district of İzmir.

Those who saw the smoke rising from the area notified the forestry teams.

3 aircraft, 4 helicopters, 16 water tenders, 4 water supply vehicles, 1 bulldozer, and 3 ground crews belonging to the İzmir Regional Directorate of Forestry began intervention.

The fire was brought under control following a two-hour intervention by the Regional Directorate of Forestry.

While no official statement has been made regarding the cause of the fire, 12punto reached out to Ekrem Civelek, the headman of Kaşıkçı Neighborhood where the fire started.

Headman Ekrem Civelek said, "There is no loss of life or property, thank God everything is under control. There is no clear information yet regarding the start of the fire, it is only estimated that it started from the main road due to a cigarette butt."

Stating that "The fire did not reach the village, it had already started at the entrance of the village and was extinguished before it could spread to the houses," Headman Civelek described the damage caused by the fire as follows:

"There is no one harmed, it did not reach our animals either, but only our forests burned. Some small olive trees planted by our citizens and fodder areas were burned."

??Bergama'da çıkan orman yangına karadan ve havadan müdahale ediliyor. #izmiryanıyor #izmir #yangın #bergama pic.twitter.com/pjP3sBZ5kl

— Sadece İZMİR (@sadecizmir) August 23, 2024

In recent days, İzmir had been on the agenda with major fires in the Menderes and Karşıyaka districts.

News Source: 12punto