Wildfires sweep across Turkey – evacuations and nationwide alert (Video)
Dozens of wildfires have erupted across Turkey. Forests, homes, and vehicles are ablaze. Authorities are battling the flames from the air and ground, but strong winds hinder efforts. People and animals have been injured.
Photo: pixabay.com
Turkey is once again battling severe wildfires. In just the past three days, authorities have recorded 263 outbreaks across various regions, according to Anadolu Ajansı.
The most critical situations are in İzmir, Manisa, and Hatay, where the flames have engulfed dozens of hectares of forests and farmland.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı personally visited the affected areas to coordinate the response. In Seferihisar and Menderes, the fire approached residential neighborhoods.
Strong winds continue to fuel the spread of flames, despite the deployment of aircraft and thousands of rescue personnel.
More than 50,000 people have been evacuated. Twenty-one people were injured, though none seriously.
In some areas, homes, farms, and animals have been destroyed. Authorities say the majority of fires are caused by human negligence or arson.
Yumaklı urged citizens not to burn waste or toss cigarettes in dry grass: “One careless move can set hectares ablaze.” In Manisa, a beekeeper’s campfire sparked one of the blazes.
In Sultanhisar and Boztaş (Adana), forest fires were triggered by sparks from power lines and field fires. In some locations, aircraft cannot take off due to strong winds, but hundreds of firefighters and volunteers are working on the ground.
Earlier, a massive wildfire broke out on the Greek island of Chios, forcing residents to flee. The flames spread rapidly, threatening villages and natural landscapes as firefighters struggled to contain the disaster.