Volunteer firefighter dies in Turkey while tackling wildfire, 8 people injured

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A volunteer firefighter died on Wednesday in Turkey after helping local emergency services tackle a large wildfire in the Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya, an official said.

The fire broke out on Monday in Antalya’s Aksu district and, fanned by strong winds, quickly spread into the neighboring Kepez district, forcing hundreds of residents from their homes. The cause of the wildfire is not known.

Hasan Kahya, an Aksu resident who was helping firefighters tackle the blaze, suffered a heart attack after being affected by the smoke and later died in hospital, the district’s mayor, Isa Yildirim, said.

Two people were hospitalized with burns to their legs on Tuesday, while six others were treated for smoke inhalation. More than 100 dogs were evacuated from an animal shelter in Aksu.

Turkey’s forestry directorate said efforts to bring the blaze under control were continuing on Wednesday, adding that the fire’s intensity had been “reduced.” At least three firefighting planes, nine helicopters, 169 fire extinguishing trucks and more than 1,000 firefighters were deployed, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Separately, firefighters were also tackling a wildfire in the district of Kozan, in the southern Adana province, where hundreds of residents have been evacuated, the forestry directorate said.