According to local authorities, Turkiye has evicted four villages and two neighborhoods in its western province of Izmir as a result of wildfirefights.
The blaze was reportedly sparked overnight by winds of 40-50kph (25-30mph) in the Izmir regions of Kuyucak and Doganbey, according to Forest Minister Ibrahim Yumakli on Monday.
More than 1, 000 people were attempting to extinguish the fires, Yumakli told reporters in Izmir, along with helicopters, fire-extinguishing aircraft, and other vehicles.
According to Turkish media, the fire caused operations at the Izmir Adnan Menderes airport to be suspended.
As smoke billowed over hills covered in charred trees, teams were seen using water trailers, helicopters, and tractors to transport water.
Two water-bombing aircraft and a sizable ground crew were forced to battle the flames by earlier strong winds that had previously grounded the helicopters.
According to Governor Suleyman Elban, the first fire broke out on Sunday between Seferihisar and Menderes in Izmir, spreading quickly due to winds ranging from 117k to 75 mph.
According to the governor, five Seferihisar neighborhoods have been evacuated as the fire moves toward residential areas.
According to a witness who spoke to the AFP news agency over the phone, residents of the village of Urkmez were forced to cut trees to build firebreaks and protect their homes.
A separate blaze threatening the Otokent industrial zone, which is home to numerous car dealerships, spread to nearby woodland and exploded at a landfill in Gaziemir, 13 kilometers (8 miles) from central Izmir.
In footage that the Turkish channel NTV aired, one dealership was captured on fire.
According to scientists, climate change has caused wildfires in Turkiye’s coastal regions in recent years because the summers have become hotter and dryer. A significant wildfire also destroyed the same area of Izmir last year.
Elsewhere
As people sought shelter from the gruesome temperatures of a heatwave that will start to worsen in the coming days, firefighters were also mobilized throughout Southern Europe.
In the southwest of France, where temperatures topped 40C (104F), wildfires broke out, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution.
Greek firefighters had to battle a forest fire south of Athens last week, which caused some evacuations.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere reported that a number of areas in Portugal’s southern region, including Lisbon, were also being issued a red warning until Monday night.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply