ANKARA, Turkey — A wildfire that broke out at a seaside resort in southwestern Turkey on Friday quickly spread to a hotel that doubles as a tourism training school, officials said. No injuries were reported.
The blaze started in the resort town of Icmeler, near the Aegean port city of Marmaris in Mugla province.
Everyone at the hotel and surrounding structures has been evacuated, Marmaris Mayor Mehmet Oktay told HaberTurk TV. Video footage showed one side of the hotel engulfed in flames.
The cause of the fire was not known. At least seven water-dropping helicopters and five planes attempted to put it out, the Mugla governor’s office said.
Last summer, fires fueled by strong winds and scorching temperatures tore through forests in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions, including Marmaris. The wildfires have killed at least eight people and countless animals, and have been described as the worst in Turkey’s history.
The government has been criticized for being unprepared to tackle large-scale wildfires, including the lack of modern firefighting aircraft.
ABC News