Wildfires leave some Gallipoli war graves covered in black soot

Wildfires threatening the war graves in Gallipoli have been brought under control.

However, some gravestones have been left blackened by soot and surrounding grassy areas scorched by the fires, an Associated Press report says.

A spark from electricity lines started the fires, Turkish officials said.

Dry, hot, windy weather conditions have helped fuel the fires.

“Gallipoli is, of course, sacred ground to both of our countries,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday, during a press conference with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

“We understand there are efforts under way to control fires that are burning on the Gallipoli Peninsula.”

An Australian media producer living on the peninsula has shared images on X.

“Most of North Anzac sector burnt out,” Bill Sellars wrote.

“Some spot fires still springing up.”

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) has acknowledged the “distress” caused for whānau and offered reassurance it will remedy any damage as quickly as possible.

“The fires, fanned by high winds, have spread rapidly across the peninsula and we understand several of our commemorative and operational sites, have been affected,” the Commission said Friday.

“The full scale of the damage is not yet known but a preliminary assessment is underway. A full assessment is likely to take some time.

“The CWGC cares for the graves and memorials of Commonwealth casualties of the First World War in more than 30 cemeteries on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

“We understand this news may cause distress, especially to those with personal connections to those commemorated but any damage will be assessed and work to remediate it will be undertaken as soon as it is possible to do so.”

Prime Minister Albanese said more than 7,200 Australians are buried in cemeteries or listed as missing in Gallipoli.

Between 16,000 and 18,000 New Zealanders landed in Gallipoli during the 1915 campaign, with 2779 killed.