This summer Turkey has experimented with fire. It shredded almost 270 forest fires through 53 provinces on the southern coast of Anatolia. The fierceness of this year’s fire came down to ineptitude. The scale of climate change and response to environmental calamity is the understanding of ineptitude. Turkey’s environmental failures are the fires.
Accumulations of dead matter (leaves, twigs, and trees) that can create enough heat sometimes to spontaneously combust and ignite the surrounding area are the causes of wildfires. 100,000 times a day lightning strikes the earth. Lightning strikes can cause fire.
Campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions such as downed power lines, negligently discarded cigarettes, firearms and fireworks and acts of arson., resulted from human-caused fires. Humans cause over 97% of wildland fires that intimidate. 88% of wildfires are human-caused from 2016 to 2020.
A combination of weather and fuel loads have come together to create favourable conditions for both ignitions and widespread results from wildfires.
How we can prevent wildfires
- Place your campfire far from flammables and in an open location.
- Douse your campfire.
- Maintain your vehicle regularly.
- Keep away your vehicles away from dry vegetation.
11 square Kilometres were lost because of wildfires in 2019, and 20 square kilometres were extended last year. This year record breaking temperatures have increased the damage. 1,600 square kilometre of forest were lost due to fire this year. Pace of climate change is expanding.
Forestry department has given 193 million Turkish liras this year for fire fighting. 193 million is roughly $22 million in today. Only 3.4 million lira is spent for mitigation projects and equipment in the first half of the year.
Turkey could only post only 2 fire fighting aircraft, when fire tumbled in the town of Manavgat in Antalya province. In fact, the country had a total of 3 working planes other than aircraft owned by Turkish Aeronautical Association, which were old and not used in the fight.
On August 2 the government of Turkey warned Radio and Television not to give much coverage on ongoing fire, if they do so, the penalty will be charged for such failure. So, the ordinary Turkish people started to organise a global call for help. The hashtag helped Turkey went viral. When the government saw these hashtags, one official said it made Turkey look weak, and so accounted campaign began with the hashtags we don’t need help and strong Turkey. After this, they started research on social media that shared the hashtags that helped Turkey summoned the owners spreading fear among the people.
https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/2015/countries/turkey
https://www.shelterbox.org/disasters-explained/wildfires/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildfire
Singhal Bhoomi Pawan