Firefighters continue to try to contain the fire forest fire in the southwest Turkeywhere still raging for the third day in a row, as the winds intensify and spread the flames despite the efforts on the ground and from the air.

The scenes of of burning forest areas near the tourist resort of Marmaris sparks fears that the country will relive last year’s devastating fires, which charred 1,400,000 acres across the Mediterranean.

According to the APE-MPE, smoke is emitted from the hills as the flames spread in a sparsely populated forest area. Aircraft and helicopters have resumed water drops.

Police are involved in the firefighting operation that broke out around 20:00 on Tuesday and has swept over 34,000 acres.

The Minister of Interior of Turkey, Suleiman Soilousaid yesterday Thursday that A man was arrested who confessed to setting fire to the forest due to a fight with members of his family.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca also said yesterday that 29 people suffered injuries, burns or respiratory problems because of the fire and two continue to be hospitalized.

A total of 274 people had to be evacuated as a precaution, according to Turkish authorities.

Forest fires last summer in Turkey, most of which also broke out near Marblewere the harshest the country has ever faced, the EU’s climate watchdog said last year, adding that the Mediterranean has become a “hot spot” for forest fires.

His government Recep Tayyip Erdogan accepted criticisms for lack of preparation to put out last year’s fires. He countered that they were the worst in the history of Turkey.

THE Kemal Kilicdarogluthe leader of the main opposition in Turkey, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), claimed last Wednesday that the government is “incompetent” and that it has not made any preparations for the fires since last year.