Wildfires sweep western Türkiye, ravaging thousands of hectares

İZMİR

Wildfires have been sweeping across western Türkiye in recent days, scorching thousands of hectares of land, damaging homes and forcing mass evacuations as strong winds and dry conditions fueled the spread of flames.

Blazes were reported in İzmir, Antalya and Çanakkale, prompting a large-scale emergency response involving hundreds of firefighters, dozens of aircraft and police and municipal resources.

In İzmir’s Buca district, a fire that broke out on the evening of Aug. 12 was brought under control after an overnight battle. Authorities believe the blaze began at around 6 p.m., when a burning minibus parked along a highway ignited nearby trees. Fanned by strong winds, the flames spread rapidly, producing plumes of smoke visible from across the city.

The İzmir Regional Forestry Directorate deployed six planes, nine helicopters, 139 ground vehicles and nearly 600 personnel, supported by municipal fire brigades and police water cannon trucks.

Three people — the driver, the vehicle’s registered owner and the exhaust mechanic who had serviced the vehicle earlier that day — were detained as part of an investigation launched by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı praised the “tireless efforts” of firefighters, confirming the Buca fire was fully contained and reminding the public that prevention remained the most effective defense against such disasters.

Additional fires in İzmir’s Beydağ and Ödemiş districts were quickly contained, though some trees were damaged.

In Antalya’s Serik district, a blaze that started in agricultural land spread to nearby forest in the early hours, burning around 10 hectares before being extinguished after a five-hour operation hampered by steep, rocky terrain.

The local muhtar, Nurettin Gök, said the fire’s proximity to homes had put the community “on edge” but praised the swift response that prevented further tragedy.

One of the most severe incidents occurred in Çanakkale’s Kepez township, where a fire that started midday on Aug. 11 spread to Güzelyalı, Çınarlı and Erenköy. More than 2,000 residents were evacuated as flames consumed several villas in Güzelyalı. Seventy-seven people were treated for smoke inhalation, none with life-threatening injuries.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who visited the area, reported that 10,000 hectares had been affected. Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said damage assessments identified 22 severely affected buildings, including 10 homes and 11 businesses.

Cooling operations continue across all affected areas, as emergency teams work to prevent flare-ups under challenging summer conditions.

In the southern province of Osmaniye’s Hasanbeyli, where a fire truck en route to a blaze lost control and tumbled into a ditch. A 20-year-old forestry worker died in the accident, while five others were taken to a hospital.