In Turkey wildfire, birth of 'Miracle' goat defies deadly flames

When awildfirespread to his village, Turkish farmer Sercan Bayat shouted at his cows to run from theflamesand prayed for his own death rather than witness his animals perish.

Seeing his animals threatened by the inferno -- a moment he captured on video - was the most difficult moment in 30-year-old Bayat's life.

But although he lost eight of his livestock in the blaze, he later found new life in the shape of a newborngoatkid lying helpless, but still breathing, after its mother had died in the fire.

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"Two or three hours after theflameswere put out, I saw this one on the ground. He is our babygoatnow. We called him Miracle," Bayat said.

"We found anothergoatamidst thewildfire. She has a baby. There you go. Miracle number two," Bayat added, as he kissed the babygoats.

He said that although his farm in Manavgat in southernTurkeyis severely damaged and he lost some of his animals, he is now "over the moon" at the kids' survival.

The massive forest fire was one of the approximately 100 fires that officials say broke out this week across southern and westernTurkey. Sweltering heat and strong winds fanned theflames. The death toll from the fires rose to six on Saturday, as two firefighting personnel died during efforts to control the blaze in Manavgat. Thousands were evacuated from their homes.

Satellite imagery showed smoke from the fires in Antalya and Mersin was extending to the island of Cyprus, around 150 km away.

Wildfires are common in southernTurkeyin the hot summer months, but local authorities say the latest fires have covered a much bigger area.