Fire in Hêni spreads to Lice, remains out of control

The blaze, which began in Hêni, has spread to the villages of Celik and Fis in Lice. Although firefighting teams from Licê and Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality are trying to intervene, the scale of the fire makes containment impossible. Villagers are calling for aerial support, while officials have stated that helicopters are currently being used to fight a fire in Adıyaman.

Lice co-mayor: Dozens of villages under threat of fire
Lice co-mayor Dilek Diyar Özer, who went to the fire zone, stated that dozens of villages are surrounded by fire and in danger of burning: “We have requested help to extinguish the fire from many places. Although we have received support from the municipalities of Hani, Kulp, Kocaköy, Lice, the metropolitan municipality, and DISKI, it is not enough to put out the fire. The fire can only be stopped with aerial assistance. Despite repeated calls, they said there was no possibility of aerial firefighting. Now there is wind, and putting out the fire does not seem possible. We call on all officials from here—we are waiting for them to provide support to extinguish the fire.”

Pointing out that many homes are also under threat, Özer said: “While people are trying to save their lives, they cannot protect their homes and are forced to leave them.” She renewed her call to officials for support in extinguishing the fire.

Eren: We call for aerial support
Serhat Eren, a Diyarbakır MP from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), also made the following statement on his social media account: “The fire that started in Hêni and spread to the Duru area and the Fis Plain in rural Lice is growing rapidly due to the wind and dry grass. While ground intervention is insufficient, villagers are requesting helicopter support. However, it has been reported that the firefighting helicopter is currently working on the fire in Adıyaman. Fire trucks are positioned in residential areas. We call on the authorities to urgently provide aerial support and take action to prevent this disaster from spreading to forests and settlements.”