Onur Orhan, Zafer Goder, and Ali Korkmaz
16 August 2024•Update: 17 August 2024
BOLU / IZMIR, Türkiye
Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said there a forest fire in Türkiye's western Izmir province is not threatening residential areas.
Yumakli, who went to Izmir because of the fire, made statements at the Seyirtepe location after receiving information on the situation.
He noted that 72 fires had broken out across Türkiye on Friday -- 45 were under control, while efforts to contain 27 continued.
In Izmir's Karsıyaka district, fires ignited by a picnic have burned 17 homes and forced the evacuation of 105 residences.
Though flames remain active, there is currently no threat to additional residential areas, Yumakli confirmed. Wind conditions and extremely low humidity are complicating efforts.
Firefighting teams have been deployed across the country, with five planes, 14 helicopters and hundreds of personnel fighting the flames.
A similar fire in the Aegean province of Aydin's Bozdoğan district spread from rural areas to forested zones, with 168 personnel and 35 aerial vehicles dispatched.
Fortunately, no human casualties have been reported, though wildlife and ecosystems have been severely affected.
The fires are expected to persist in the coming days due to heatwaves and unpredictable winds.
Incident
A forest fire that began late Thursday in the Izmir area rapidly spread due to strong winds, prompting evacuations and extensive firefighting efforts across several districts in the province.
During the day, due to strong winds of approximately 80 kilometers per hour (49.9 miles), aircraft were unable to intervene for a while in the area of Yamanlar Karatepe in the Karsikaya district.
Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said efforts to contain the fires continue with 596 vehicles and 2,965 personnel.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 900 citizens have been evacuated -- 800 from the Karsıyaka district and 100 from the Bayindir district.
*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul
