Forest fire southwest of Turkey brought under control

1 forest worker dies during effort to extinguish blaze, says Mugla governor

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY PROVINCE'S GOVERNOR; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Durmus Genc

MUGLA, Turkey (AA) - A forest fire which broke out in Turkey's southwestern Mugla province on Sunday has been brought under control, said a local official.

"The fire is now under control. Teams continue cooling work from air and land in the region," Orhan Tavli, the Mugla governor, told Anadolu Agency.

For reasons unknown, the fire broke out in forestland close to hotels and settlements in Icmeler in the Marmaris district of the coastal province.

Many forest workers and firefighters as well as six helicopters, sprinklers, bulldozers, and water tankers battled flames that the wind helped quickly spread over the region.

A forest worker died while battling the forest fires along with firefighters, Talvi also said.

According to Mugla Regional Directorate of Forestry, the forest worker was 38-year-old Gorkem Hasdemir.

Vice President Fuat Oktay on Twitter shared a message of condolences over Hasdemir’s death and wished Allah's mercy on him.

Kaynak: