Almost 900 people have been evacuated from areas threatened by fire near the city of Izmir. Almost 3,000 firefighters are battling the flames on Saturday. This dangerous fire is likely the result of irresponsible behavior by people vacationing in the area.
Turkey has seen 72 fires in recent days. Of these, 45 have been contained, but 27 are still being extinguished. Firefighters around the city of Izmir are busy on Saturday. The fire, which broke out late Thursday evening near the city, quickly spread due to strong winds, threatening residential areas.
900 people were evacuated
Nearly three thousand people have been deployed to fight forest fires in Izmir, said Fahrettin Altun, spokesman for the Turkish president, as quoted by the Anatolia news agency on Saturday. He added that 596 vehicles have been deployed to extinguish forest fires in the vicinity of Izmir in western Turkey.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced earlier that 800 citizens had been evacuated from the Karsiyaka district and 100 from Bayindir, part of Izmir, the country's third largest city. Animal shelters in the area were also evacuated. Roads leading to fire-prone zones were closed.
The situation, although difficult, is slowly improving. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on Saturday that there was no longer a threat to residential areas. He added that the fire probably started from a fire lit by three people during a picnic. Their identities are being established.
Authorities have warned of a high risk of wildfires over the weekend due to high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds.
Main image source: Reuters