Wildfire in south-west Turkey spreads to hotel

A wildfire that broke out Friday in a resort area in south-western Turkey spread to a hotel that also serves as a tourism training school, officials said.

No injuries were reported, and the blaze later was brought under control.

The blaze started in the Icmeler resort area, close to the Aegean Sea port city of Marmaris, in Mugla province.

Everyone at the hotel and surrounding structures was evacuated, Marmaris mayor Mehmet Oktay told TV station Haberturk.

Footage showed one side of the hotel in flames. A villa and several vehicles in Icmeler also were damaged.

Volunteers attempt to extinguish a wildfire in the Datca district of Mugla, south-west Turkey, earlier in July. AFP

Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, the TV station reported.

At least seven firefighting helicopters and five firefighting aircraft were involved in trying to put out the blaze, the Mugla governor’s office said.

The Turkish Coast Guard Command closed an area of the sea to maritime traffic to allow the helicopters to safely refill, it said.

Last summer, fires fed by strong winds and scorching temperatures tore through forests in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions, including Marmaris.

The wildfires killed at least eight people and many animals, and were described as the worst in Turkey’s history.

The government came under criticism for not having preparations in place for fighting large-scale wildfires, including a lack of modern firefighting aircraft.

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.