Ankara, Türkiye: More than 50,000 people have been evacuated across Türkiye as raging forest fires continue to sweep through several provinces, with the western province of Izmir bearing the brunt of the crisis. Authorities attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of these blazes to climate change and longer, hotter summers.
According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), fires have impacted parts of Izmir, Bilecik, Hatay, Sakarya, and Manisa provinces, prompting the relocation of residents from 41 different settlements to temporary safe zones.
AFAD reported that a staggering 42,300 people were evacuated from Seferihisar, a popular summer district southwest of Izmir. Significant evacuations also took place in other affected areas, including approximately 2,936 residents from Manisa’s Akhisar district, 1,500 from five neighborhoods in Hatay, 609 from Bilecik, and 230 from two neighborhoods in Sakarya. Additionally, around 850 individuals were forced to flee wildfires in northwestern Türkiye.
Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli announced on Monday during a press briefing in Izmir that emergency teams have responded to 263 wildfires nationwide over the past three days.
Initial damage assessments, shared by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on social media platform X on Monday, reveal widespread destruction. In Izmir, 132 homes and one business were destroyed, while Bilecik saw the destruction of 64 homes, three businesses, and 20 barns.
As Türkiye grapples with more extreme weather patterns, the ongoing crisis highlights the growing impact of climate change on the country’s environment and communities.
