“Our village has turned into hell”.. Al-Firdaws village in Izmir was devoured by fire

“Our village has turned into hell.” The picturesque village of Sancakli, high in the Izmir highlands, offers a stunning panoramic view of Turkey’s western coast. But wildfires have swept through steep valleys around Turkey’s third-most populous city in recent days.

Abdullah Ozata despairingly points to the scale of the damage in the city of Sancakli, where residents were evacuated to save lives. “Twelve sheep and 50 chickens died in the fire,” he told AFP, showing the charred remains of animals. “I lost all my livestock,” the 43-year-old says as he walks through the rubble. “I have no other work or source of income.”

“Our village was beautiful, like heaven.”

Two finance ministry officials photograph the damage and record the losses to claim compensation. “The gendarmes evacuated us to avoid human losses, but I lost my livestock,” he says regretfully. “Our village was beautiful, it was like paradise, but it has turned into hell.”

More information about fires

Authorities said on Sunday that after spreading for four days due to strong winds, the fire had been largely contained. But it left large areas of charred and blackened land, and destroyed olive trees, vegetable orchards and beehives. At least 43 buildings were damaged in the Izmir province, while 26 people were taken to hospital. “There is no danger in the section overlooking the city. Firefighters managed to put out the fire in a valley,” Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on Sunday. The Izmir fire is now under control, thank God, he said.