The Izmir wildfire is spreading rapidly across western Turkey, fuelled by gale-force winds that have reached up to 117 km/h. Fires broke out in the provinces of Izmir, Denizli, Aydın and Manisa, with emergency crews battling to contain the devastation.
In Menderes and Seferihisar, flames moved into residential zones, forcing the evacuation of five settlements. The Izmir wildfire has become so intense that ash has reached the island of Patmos and the smoke is visible from nearby Greek islands.
One man has been arrested for suspected arson in Buca, Izmir, after allegedly setting fire to his own home with petrol. Legal action is underway.
Residents scrambled to move their vehicles from the path of the flames, but many were destroyed. Agriculture Minister Yumaklı travelled to Izmir and confirmed 77 wildfires broke out across Turkey on Sunday alone- 53 of them in forests. Over 1,450 fires have been reported in the last month.
High winds between 70 and 117 km/h are severely hindering efforts to contain the blaze. More than 1,100 firefighting personnel, 122 water trucks, 74 additional tankers and 84 excavators are on site.
Meanwhile, a separate fire in Gaziemir- just 13km from central Izmir- spread from a landfill to a forest and now threatens the Otokent industrial zone. Footage aired on NTV shows at least one car dealership consumed by flames.
Flight disruptions in Izmir
Adnan Menderes Airport temporarily closed on Sunday, 29 June, due to the Gaziemir fire and intense winds. Dozens of flights were cancelled or rerouted. Pegasus Airlines flight PC 1864 to Ercan was the first to depart after reopening at 21:50 local time.
Also read: Homes destroyed in Palaia Fokaia wildfire
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