Turkey has suffered 1,448 forest fires that destroyed 2,533 hectares of forest throughout the country so far this year, Turkish officials said on Tuesday.

The number of forest fires this year has registered an increase as statistics by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry show that an average of 1,143 forest fires take place in Turkey every year.

Currently, a number of forest fires are burning in different locations along Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, said the officials.

About 300 firefighters are now trying to contain a big forest fire near the Aegean resort town of Bodrum in Mugla province in western Turkey, but have not yet managed to bring it under control, said the officials.

The fire has destroyed 600 hectares of forest near Bodrum so far, prompting local authorities to evacuate hundreds of summer and village houses as a precaution.

Source: Xinhua