Marmaris

Our few days in Marmaris were HOT! And the water in the bay was unappealing for swimming. So one afternoon we took the kids to the cinema in order to enjoy a little air con for a couple of hours. We watched the Minions movie in Turkish and loved every minute!

But the summer heat caused more issues than just a few sweaty boaties... Wildfires in the forests of Turkiye are common at this time of year, however last season more than 200 wildfires burnt across 1,700km2 of the Mediterranean coast. It was the worst-ever wildfire season in the country’s history.

This summer, national parks have been closed to the public in an effort to help reduce the risk of fires. In June alone, some 4,500 hectares in Marmaris were turned to ash, and took five days to bring under control. The scars on the land here are obvious. So when a fire broke out on the hillside behind the old town of Marmaris, the response was swift.

Soon the anchorage was swarming with tens of helicopters and aeroplanes. The coast guard cleared the bay so that Canadair aircraft, Chinooks and countless helicopters could scoop up gallons of water in order to attack the flames. Crop-dusters brought in extinguishing dust and a spotter plane kept watch from above. The level of co-ordination was impressive, and we spent nearly two hours watching these aircraft bounce between the bay and the fire, flying low over our mast with their buckets of water.

By sunset the fire had been extinguished, however the following day a separate wildfire spread to an evacuated hotel in Marmaris. Fortunately no one was injured. Though, as extreme fire weather continues to be more frequent, I suspect we haven’t seen the last of the wildfires here yet.