Turkish Firefighters Battle Wildfires Across 5 Provinces as Heat Intensifies
Firefighters in Turkey are working to contain wildfires across five provinces, according to Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı. The largest of these fires, which started in the western Izmir region on Thursday, has now been brought under control, with residential areas no longer at risk. The blaze in İzmir’s Karşıyaka district was reportedly sparked by three individuals who were picnicking near a forested area. Authorities are close to identifying those responsible.
Yumaklı noted that while the intensity of the fire has decreased, the flames are still burning in a valley that is difficult to access from land. The fire had been fueled by strong winds, threatening homes and businesses on Friday and forcing evacuations. Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay reported that 16 homes and 30 businesses were destroyed. Additionally, Turkey’s Health Ministry confirmed that 78 people had been affected by the blaze.
Aerial footage showed helicopters and planes dropping water on the fire, as ground teams continued their efforts to extinguish it. Fires are also raging in the western provinces of Aydın and Manisa, and in Bolu and Karabük to the north.
Turkey’s General Directorate of Forestry has issued a warning for 12 provinces, indicating a high risk of wildfires over the next 10 days due to extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds. The country’s coastal regions have experienced increasingly destructive wildfires in recent years, which experts attribute to climate change.
