English

Great Izmir Fire Report

By

Monsieur Gresgovich

Izmir Underwriters' Fire Department Commander

Istanbul

Hüsni Tabiat Press, opposite Bab-I Ali

1339

Great Izmir Fire Report

By

Monsieur Gresgovich

Izmir Underwriters' Fire Department Commander

At the time of final offensive the Greek officers and recruits were remarking "If we have to leave İzmir to Turks, we will burn it", and they were saying this everywhere. On 08 September 1338, around the hour of 6, I have seen two Greek soldiers igniting a box of matches and throwing this into house of one "Monsieur Fulburc" of British nationality, located opposite house no. 2  on çavuş Street in Hacı Istan Quarter.  Of course, I could not say anything to the soldiers for my own safety. However, I stood watch until the matches burned off and I did not inform the homeowner to avoid alarming them. On 09 September 1338, around the hour of 2, after cavalry detachments of Turkish army entered İzmir township I saw no incident take place. On Sunday, 10 September 1338, one sergeant and eight British soldiers went from the British ministry steamer to the fire tower. They climbed the tower and signalled by flag from the tower to the steamer. Their signalling went on until the following day. On 11 September 1338 the British sergeant came to me with a piece of paper and said "this is all our communication with the ship's captain. This evening they will burn the Turkish hospital at Karantina." The following morning, on 12 September 1338, fire department commission clerk Monsieur Zak Mesir said that two trains arrived in Buca at midnight and all British families were were transported to İzmir and then transferred to ships. I understood that an unspeakable disaster was about to strike İzmir and what Greeks were saying was about to happen. On 11-12 September 1338 fire fighters on look-out duty, observing with binoculars from the fire tower, told me they observed movement on the roof of the Armenian church and other high grounds and some recruits of the fire department saw some ciphered signals about sacking decision from bell tower of the Armenian church.

The number of fires broken out in areas from the Armenian Quarter to Tepecik Quarter in the three days from 10 to 12 September 1338 and my observations regarding these fires were unseen in 30 years of statistics tables of the fire department.

On 11-12 September 1338, one hour after midnight I was informed a fire broke out in the Armenian Quarter. While fire fighters were on the way to the fire we heard around 120 to 150 women and children bitterly crying while passing the Greek hospital. I asked them "Why are you crying?" and they answered "The Armenians burned us. We were in the Seyis Inn." These were Greek people. They told us the Armenians in the adjacent building made a hole in the wall, poured in a lot of gas and set fire to their house. I guarded these people in the blind alley until the morning and in the morning I turned them over to the patrol.

On 13 September 1338, at 10:30, I was informed fire broke out in the Armenian Quarter towards noon. On the way to the fire I saw an Armenian house on fire fifty metres away from the Armenian church. Strong and violent flames were issuing from the lower floor of the house. I was forced move back. While we were trying to extinguish the fire to keep it from spreading, we were informed there was fire in the Armenian church. I went to the church with the recruits. It was not possible to enter from the garden gate of the church. We jumped over the iron fences and passed the hose over the fence. There was no fire in church buildings. Only about two hundred bales were pile with greased scraps and two hundred rifles and locked munitions were pile on top of these near a small building. The fire was issuing from this place and regular explosions were being heard inside the fire. We endeavoured to extinguish the fire. While at the church, we were informed that there is another fire in the Armenian Quarter, opposite Basmahane. I ran over to there with the recruits and observed fire issuing from an Armenian hospital. While we worked to extinguish this fire we were informed of another fire in Soğuk Çeşme. I went over to there with two fire recruits and extinguished the fire. Then I returned to the fire at Basmahane. There were regular explosions happening in the fire and the fire gained strength as time passed. At that moment I was informed Armenian church was on fire again. I went over with a team of recruits. While we were trying to extinguish the fire with water I was informed a house three hundred meters away in the corner of the back street was on fire. While labouring to extinguish the fire I looked around and saw fire was pouring out of not just one house, but everywhere in the Armenian Quarters. There might have been twenty five separate fires in the quarter. We were surrounded by fire as well as being targeted with bullets. When we realised we were surrounded by fire we had to move back, putting our backs to quarters without fire, endeavouring to prevent fire from spreading further. While we were doing this I was informed that more fires broke out behind the line and the entire Armenian Quarter was now on fire. At the same time sounds of explosions were continuously being heard in the fire. At that moment I realised it would not be possible to put out these fires with water. I immediately went to Kazım Paşa, commander of the position, and told him about the situation. I requested to pull down nearby sound buildings by explosive materials to cut off the fire in Armenian Quarter. The commander assigned about thirty recruits from the fort under command of a sergeant and we went to the site of fire by truck. We worked to pull down houses behind the line, in unburned Aya Dimitri Quarter, but the walls were thin and dynamite only made holes, failing to bring down walls. Due to continued intensity of fires the hoses were broken down and burned, as did pumps, which were all unrepairable. We still endeavoured to extinguish the fires, at which time we were informed fire broke out at the beginning of Peştemalcılar. The fire surrounded the entire town. The continuing wind kept strengthening the fire. I had to extract fire department recruits and material from the fire. I formed a number of teams and tried to work in quarters behind the line. In fact, believing these events were committed intentionally, I went to Monsieur Bon, Chairman of the Fire Department Commission on 11 September 1338. As I remembered chatter of Greek officers and recruits I was absolutely convinced this was an actual intentional scheme to burn the entire İzmir township down to ash, and they would use all their means and presence to do so. I reported this opinion to Monsieur Bon and I asked them to let me free to rescue İzmir from this great disaster and asked their permission for supply of all materials, people and animals and whatever else needed for this purpose. Monsieur Bon gathered the Commission and I presented the situation to the entire Commission. The Commission accepted by proposal entirely and ordered me to keep the motorised pump always ready opposite of the customs. I refused this this proposition on the worry that the machine would be thrown in the sea and we would lose it. In two days I supplied whatever was possible from İzmir and made necessary organisation. I endeavoured to rescue İzmir from the fire with everything I had. Presenting this report on these merits, I would like finally point out I was targeted with bullets on the second day as I worked to put out fires. These bullets have found the fire pumps instead of me, filling them with holes.

Gresgovich

İzmir Underwriters' Fire Department Commander