Turkey wildfires explained

Wildfires often have a devastating impact on communities and towns when they reach the stage of being fully out of control. Unfortunately, this has been the case in Turkey.

In terms of the scale of the recent events, the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister has stated that 53 forest fires have been separately recorded in the Mediterranean and southern Aegean regions of the country.

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These fires have caused extreme devastation to property and land, as well as having a tragic impact on human life. The death toll rose to eight on Sunday following continued efforts to contain and prevent the blaze.

Many people have been forced to evacuate the impacted areas due to the extreme nature of the blazes. The sheer amount of smoke makes certain areas inhospitable due to an inability to breathe through the smoke.

One of the biggest questions surrounding these extreme wildfires is what has been the primary cause of them. A popular assumption is that the fires have been triggered as a result of the extremely hot temperatures covering Europe.

Wildfires have also been ravaging through countries such as Italy and Greece, causing widespread damage in these countries as well. These wildfires are also likely to have been caused by the intense heat sweeping Europe.

It’s easy to see how temperature could easily trigger these fires. The World Meteorological Organisation tweeted that temperatures in the Mediterranean area could easily surpass 40°C. This would provide perfect conditions for fires to begin.

And while this extreme heat is the most probable cause of the ongoing disaster, there are several other potential causes for these wildfires being discussed by experts.

One of these potential causes would be general negligence. Many people establishing campfires often don’t take the necessary precautions to put them out properly. This can lead to a potentially devastating chain of events.

Perhaps the most concerning suggestion from Turkish officials is that these fires could have been deliberately caused by PKK members. There has, however, been no evidence cited by the government in regards to these claims as of now.

As the fires continue to be battled by firefighters it is hoped the country is able to get these fires under control in order to prevent further damages. However, with the continued extreme temperatures flooding Europe it’s highly likely fires could restart.

As the EU steps in to provide additional aid to Turkey during this disaster, hopefully the situation will be brought under control to prevent further loss of life and devastation to Turkey.