A large forest fire between Tatlısu and Mersinlik has been completely extinguished

A significant forest fire that broke out between the villages of Tatlısu and Mersinlik in Northern Cyprus has been brought under control.

Emergency services reported that the fire in the forested area between Mersinlik and Tatlısu began around 3:00 PM. Due to the intense heat, the flames spread rapidly. Reinforced firefighting teams were deployed to tackle the blaze. In addition to ground efforts by police, firefighters, the forestry department, and civil defense, two firefighting helicopters were used to douse the flames from above.

The President of the TRNC, Ersin Tatar, along with the Prime Minister, Ünal Üstel, and the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, visited the scene.

The Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources stated that the fire started in a difficult-to-reach area, but firefighters managed to access the ignition point thanks to a road cleared by bulldozers. The intense flames could only be effectively controlled with the help of helicopters.

In the evening, President Ersin Tatar announced that the fire between Tatlısu and Mersinlik was under control. He highlighted that the two helicopters continuously delivered and dropped water on the affected area.

Efforts to cool down the smoldering area continued into the morning to prevent any rekindling.

President Tatar expressed his gratitude to the Forestry Department, the Fire Department, the Security Forces Command, the Civil Defense Organization, the municipalities, and the volunteers who helped extinguish the fire.

It is important to note that due to the abnormal heat in the region, the number of forest fires has significantly increased. For instance, on June 5, a forest near İnçirli Cave caught fire.