Türkiye battled intense wildfires for a second consecutive day on Monday in the western province of Izmir, resulting in the evacuation of over 50,000 residents from 41 affected areas, Al Jazeera reported, citing local authorities.
According to Al Jazeera, Turkish Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said that strong overnight winds, blowing at 40-50 km/h (25-30 mph), intensified the fires in the Kuyucak and Doganbey regions. Over 1,000 firefighting personnel, aided by helicopters, aircraft, and ground vehicles, are involved in efforts to contain the blazes.
Türkiye’s disaster management agency AFAD confirmed the large-scale evacuations in a post on X:
“A total of over 50,000 citizens from 41 settlements have been temporarily relocated to safe areas,” the agency stated.
The wildfires disrupted operations at Izmir’s Adnan Menderes Airport, where flights were suspended as thick smoke blanketed the region. Visuals from the scene showed scorched hills, water-bombing helicopters, and residents using tractors equipped with water tanks to assist in firefighting, Al Jazeera reported.
Earlier firefighting efforts faced setbacks when high winds grounded helicopters, leaving only planes and ground crews to battle the flames. The initial fire ignited on Sunday between the Seferihisar and Menderes districts, spreading rapidly due to wind gusts reaching up to 117 km/h (75 mph), according to Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban.
In a related incident, another fire broke out at a landfill in Gaziemir, just 13 km (8 miles) from central Izmir, threatening nearby forest areas and the Otokent industrial zone, which houses numerous car dealerships, Al Jazeera noted.
Experts warn that Türkiye’s coastal regions are increasingly vulnerable to wildfires due to hotter, drier summers, conditions worsened by climate change. Notably, Izmir experienced a major wildfire last year, underscoring the region’s growing susceptibility.