Istanbul Fire Department

Fire blazing at Istanbul Balikli Greek Hospital. Photo: Istanbul Municipality

Istanbul city authorities confirmed that there were no deaths and injuries. The fire was under control by late Thursday night.

A bear has attacked a volunteer firefighter who was trying to put out a wildfire at Kaz Mountains (Mount Ida) in the northwestern province of Balıkesir out of what the team believes was panic due to fire and smoke.

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The Istanbul Fire Department released a report on the number of fires that occurred in the Turkish megapolis in 2021 and their causes.

The report shows 2,617 blazes broke out in the city in the first three months of the year, and most of the fires stemmed from haphazardly discarded lit cigarettes and faulty electricity.

Heavy snow and sub-zero winds swept through the northwest of Marmara Sea shoreline over the past weekend, with more snowfall possible in the Thrace region starting from Feb. 15 night, according to the Turkish State Meteorological Service.

The main causes of nearly 18,000 fires that occurred in the first 10 months of 2020 in Istanbul were cigarette butts and electrical short circuits, according to data from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The number of fires in 2020 decreased by 7 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, the report said.

Two people were killed when a six-story abandoned apartment building collapsed on Jan. 13 in Istanbul, according to the local officials. 
Bodies of 60-year old Mehmet Akbaş and Mehmet Özdener, a six-year old child have been removed from the debris in Zeytinburnu district in Istanbul. 

Police have detained 23 people in an operation launched against members of the Istanbul Fire Department