Death toll in wildfires that hit southern Turkey rises to 4

Turkish fire crews are continuing to fight blazes in southern Turkey that burned down homes and forced evacuations while the death toll in the wildfires rose to four

ANKARA, Turkey -- The death toll in a string of wildfires raging in southern Turkey rose to four, officials said Friday, as fire crews continued to battle blazes that burned down homes and forced people to evacuate settlements and beach resorts. Firefighters were still tackling wildfires in 20 locations in six provinces in Turkey’s Mediterranean and southern Aegean region, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said. More than 50 others wildfires that broke out since Wednesday amid strong winds and scorching heat were extinguished. The minister said it was too soon to declare that the current fires were under control, but insisted the fire crews were making good progress. The worst fires were in the Manavgat and Akseki regions, in Antalya province, where strong winds pushed the fire toward settlements on Wednesday. An 82-year-old man and a married couple died, more than 50 people were hospitalized and dozens of homes were incinerated. More than 25 neighborhoods or villages were evacuated.