Wildfires spread across Türkiye’s Izmir province

Wildfires fuelled by strong winds swept through parts of western Türkiye on Sunday, forcing evacuations of people from their homes and briefly shutting down Izmir’s airport.

Strong winds hampered efforts to contain wildfires in Türkiye’s western province of Izmir, where flames swept through the tourist town of Menderes.

Wind gusts reaching up to 100 kilometres per hour made aerial firefighting difficult, as helicopters struggled to control the blaze.

Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said more than 1,000 firefighters, supported by 11 planes and 27 helicopters, were battling the fire. Three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation but were later discharged.

Civilians also joined firefighting efforts as the blaze approached residential areas. Authorities evacuated people from four villages and two neighbourhoods as a precaution.

While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, flights at Izmir International Airport were temporarily suspended due to heavy smoke.

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