Mustafa Nazlı, who works at the Directorate of Forestry Management in Mengen, went to the area to support the efforts to extinguish the fire that started in the forest area in the village of Bekirfakılar on August 15th, and was brought under control with the intervention of the teams from the air and ground in about 72 hours.
Nazlı, who intervened in the fire with his supervisor Ali Yiğenoğlu and other staff, found himself in the middle of the flames on the second day of the extinguishing efforts with his colleagues.
Noticing that his exhausted supervisor couldn’t come while escaping with the staff from the flames, Nazlı went back to help him. Despite his supervisor struggling to breathe due to the dense smoke and telling him to leave him behind, Nazlı rescued him from the flames.
Describing his experience, Mustafa Nazlı said they immediately moved to the area upon hearing about the fire. They identified the area where they could intervene in the flames and progressed towards extinguishing the fire, but at one point, the fire intensified. They heard their deputy manager yelling “Run, run!” and tried to escape from the flames. One colleague pleaded for help not to be left behind, causing Nazlı to wait with his supervisor until he came out safely before returning to help his supervisor.
Nazlı recounted how the flames surrounded them due to the wind causing them to be encircled. He experienced moments of desperation during the 20-25 minutes when they struggled to escape the flames with dwindling strength and water supplies. Despite feeling as if they were at the end of the road, he refused to leave his supervisor behind and decided they would either escape the fire together or perish together. They eventually managed to ascend the fiery terrain with divine strength after their communication devices failed and nobody knew of their situation.
Nazlı further explained how they managed to call for help when they found a spot with reception, and were taken to the hospital by an ambulance upon arrival. Reflecting on the trauma and horrors they experienced during the fire, he expressed that the mental and physical toll of the ordeal was beyond words. He emphasized the importance of not abandoning his supervisor during the dire circumstances, as he believed he couldn’t live with the guilt of leaving him behind. The harrowing experience left a lasting impact on Nazlı, who emphasized the incomprehensible nature of the situation and the sheer intensity of the battle they faced during those crucial moments.
