The fire that started in the forested area of Yamanlar Mountain in Karşıyaka district of Izmir on August 15 and spread to a wide area was brought under control on August 18. Following the fire, damage assessment works are ongoing in homes and businesses affected by the flames.
In the Onur neighborhood of Bayraklı district, where the fire caused the most damage to residential areas, residents are cleaning up their belongings from the burned houses. Some residents are sharing their pain by drinking tea in front of their unusable homes.
Selim Kaya, who has been living in the neighborhood for 20 years and Resul Sirkeci, whose 35-year-old house was engulfed in flames, are trying to support each other in front of the collapsed walls.
Selim Kaya, 41, said he lives alone in the house, makes a living by working in construction, was at work during the fire, and was deeply saddened when he saw the condition of his home.
Expressing that he encountered a fire disaster for the third time, Kaya said that his house in his hometown of Çorum burned twice in 1990 and 1995, and he migrated to Izmir to start a new life. Kaya, who expressed that he had lost approximately 50,000 liras, said that he had renovated all the items in the house and was planning to get married, but now he is back to square one and in need of support.
Resul Sirkeci, who was at home during the fire, stated that he saw the flames approaching their house right after breakfast. Sirkeci, who tried to intervene in the flames, said that he tried to pour water with a hose, but it was of no use. He forcibly took his wife out and then ran away. Sirkeci, who has been living in the house for 34 years, said that he lost everything in the fire within 10 minutes, including phones, clothes, money, and all his belongings.
The fire that started in the forested area of Yamanlar Mountain in Karşıyaka district of Izmir on August 15 spread to residential areas. The fire was brought under control on August 18, and it resulted in 16 houses burning down, 87 houses and 45 businesses being evacuated, and the evacuation of three neighborhoods.
