Turkish authorities have detained ten individuals in connection with a series of wildfires that erupted across the country over the past week, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday.
The wildfires killed at least two people in western coastal province of Izmir as fire extinguishing teams supported by planes and helicopters struggled to contain the blazes. Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes earlier this week.
Strong winds and faulty power lines have fuelled the flames, officials said.
Izmir governor Suleyman Elban said the main challenge was strong and shifting winds. “It constantly changes direction,” he told reporters.
Elban said nine planes, 22 helicopters and 1,100 vehicles were battling the fires across the region.
Efforts To Contain The Fire
“With the intense efforts of our forest heroes throughout the night and aerial intervention at first light, the fire in Cesme has been brought under control,” Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on X on Friday.
“Our intense efforts by air and land continue to bring the fires in Odemis and Buca under control,” he added.
Authorities determined that some of the 65 fires that broke out since June 26 were due to welding and agricultural machinery usage near the forest area and burning garden waste. Legal proceedings for 15 more suspects continue, Yerlikaya said.
Yumakli said nine out of ten wildfires that teams were battling on Friday were largely under control while efforts to contain the fire in southeastern Hatay province will continue overnight.
This devastating wildfire forms part of a broader crisis sweeping across Turkey, which is grappling with a surge in wildfires during an exceptionally hot summer.
Authorities have reported a total of 77 wildfires nationwide, with 53 of them devastating dense forest areas.
The scale and speed of these fires have alarmed officials and environmentalists, as the country faces mounting challenges linked to climate change and extreme weather conditions.
(With inputs from Reuters)
