More than 50,000 people fled their homes in western Turkey on Sunday as wildfires spread rapidly across Izmir and nearby settlements. The wildfire evacuation operation began after strong winds fueled massive flames near the districts of Seferihisar and Menderes in Izmir province.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said the wind speed reached up to 120 km/h, accelerating the spread of the fire. Authorities mobilized over 1,000 personnel, 14 helicopters, four planes, and more than 100 fire trucks to contain the growing blaze.
AFAD, the country’s disaster agency, confirmed that 42,300 people were evacuated from Seferihisar alone, located 50 kilometers southwest of central Izmir. Another 3000 residents were evacuated from Manisa and 1,500 from Hatay as wildfires erupted across multiple regions.
Winds initially grounded aircraft, leaving firefighters with limited tools to slow the flames during the first hours of the response. By Monday, aircraft resumed operations as thick smoke and ash blanketed vast areas and forced the temporary closure of Izmir airport.
At least 20 homes burned overnight in the hardest hit areas, with only charred walls remaining by the following morning. Residents in the seaside village of Urkmez reportedly cut trees to create firebreaks to save homes.
In Gaziemir, a landfill blaze spread into nearby woodlands and threatened an industrial zone home to several car dealerships. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, wildfires have scorched nearly 19,000 hectares of land across Turkey so far this year.
Officials report 263 fires since Friday, 259 under control and four still actively burning across difficult terrain. Experts link worsening fire seasons to climate change, warning that hotter, drier summers are making regions like Izmir increasingly vulnerable.
