Wildfires in Çanakkale largely contained after nightlong battles, evacuations

ÇANAKKALE

The aftermath of the fire in the village of Saçaklı.

Firefighters in Türkiye have managed to halt the advance of two major wildfires in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, bringing them under substantial control following relentless overnight efforts, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı announced.

The blazes, which erupted on Thursday in areas near Sarıcaeli village in the provincial center and in Bayramiç district, prompted widespread evacuations and strained emergency resources amid strong winds that fueled their rapid spread.

In Sarıcaeli, the fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. in a forested area close to the village.

Teams from the Çanakkale Regional Forestry Directorate rushed to the scene after alerts from locals. Initial response included four planes and four helicopters for aerial support, alongside 27 water tenders and numerous ground crews.

Flames reached perilously close to residential zones, including a nearby housing complex where residents were evacuated as a precaution.

A fire truck became trapped in the inferno and was rendered unusable.

The fire also approached Çanakkale Mehmet Akif Ersoy State Hospital, leading to partial patient transfers to shield them from smoke.Nearby, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ) cleared its Terzioğlu Campus of all but essential technical staff.

Rector Prof. Dr. Cüneyt Erenoğlu explained that administrative managers stayed on for oversight, but the rest were sent away for safety.

Additional evacuations involved two people from a radio and TV transmission tower in the vicinity, plus 52 residents from the Sarıcaeli Special Care Center.

Authorities later detained four suspects in connection with the Sarıcaeli fire, according to Minister Yumaklı, who spoke from the Dardanos Fire Management Center.

Just four minutes after the Sarıcaeli outbreak, another fire ignited in agricultural land in Bayramiç's Saçaklı village, quickly jumping to surrounding forests due to gusty winds.

Response teams arrived promptly, but the blaze damaged several homes—some completely destroyed—with the full extent becoming clear at dawn.

As a result, 654 villagers from Saçaklı, Ahmetçeli, Doğancı, Zeytinli and Pıtıreli were relocated to safer spots.

Yumaklı confirmed late Thursday that the Sarıcaeli fire was contained by around 9 p.m., with cooling operations ongoing to prevent re-ignition.

He shared an update on social media, praising the "forest heroes" for their tireless work:

"In Çanakkale's center and Bayramiç, our teams' uninterrupted nighttime interventions have stopped both fires' progress, and they are now largely under control. Aerial and ground cooling efforts continue."

Recent developments have also seen temporary disruptions, including the closure of the Dardanelles Strait to shipping as a precaution against the spreading smoke and flames, according to transport officials.Çanakkale's airport halted passenger flights but kept operations open for firefighting aircraft.

No injuries were reported, and investigations into the causes are underway.