Devastating wildfires have led to the evacuation of more than 50,000 people from 41 villages in the western Turkish province of Izmir, as strong winds continue to hinder firefighting efforts.
The fires, which erupted on Sunday, have mobilized over 1,000 firefighters, along with helicopters and specialized fire-suppression aircraft. This information comes from reports by AFP and Al Jazeera.
Turkey’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakli, confirmed on Monday that the fierce winds significantly sped up the fire’s spread overnight. Wind speeds near the affected villages of Kuyucak and Doğanbey reached between 40 to 50 kilometers per hour. As a result, authorities had to suspend operations at Adnan Menderes Airport near Izmir due to the encroaching flames.
Rapid Fire Expansion
The initial fire broke out around 1:00 p.m. local time on Sunday in the districts of Seferihisar and Menderes. According to Izmir’s Governor Süleyman Elban, gusts reached up to 117 kilometers per hour, causing the fire to spread rapidly throughout the area. On Sunday, the strong winds grounded firefighting helicopters, but two water-bombing planes and numerous ground crews continued to fight the flames.
Al Jazeera highlights that Turkey’s coastal regions have experienced a concerning rise in wildfires in recent years, fueled by longer, hotter, and drier summers. Scientists link the increasing frequency and severity of these fires to climate change. Similar wildfires have also been reported recently in other Mediterranean countries, including Greece and France.
