Spanish, Croatian planes join battle against Turkish wildfires

MARMARIS, Turkey - Firefighting planes from Spain and Croatia joined the battle against wildfires raging for a seventh day near Turkey's southern resorts amid increasing calls for more aerial support and sharp criticism of the government's response.

Nine fires were blazing on Tuesday, fanned by strong winds, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F), and low humidity, officials said. Plumes of black smoke rose from hillsides and forests near the coastal resorts of Bodrum and Marmaris. Two firefighting planes from Spain and one from Croatia joined teams from Russia, Iran, Ukraine and Azerbaijan to battle blazes on Tuesday, after Turkey requested European support.