Thousands forced to evacuate as wildfires rage in western Turkey
Al Jazeera
Nearly 4,000 residents in the region have been moved to safety and six arrested for alleged sabotage, authorities said.
Wildfires have engulfed swaths of western Turkey triggering the evacuation of nearly 4,000 residents, the disaster management agency said.
Helicopters and water bombers, which were grounded due to strong winds, were brought in to battle the blaze on Saturday in the resort city of Izmir on Turkey’s Aegean coast, broadcaster NTV reported.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 900 residents in five affected districts were evacuated overnight in Izmir, the country’s third-most populous city.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Saturday that 1,430 people in Izmir were taken to safety, 1,475 in Manisa, 516 in Bolu and 550 in Aydin, after a total of 131 wildfires broke out on agricultural and forested land in these cities over the past week.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters that, overnight, 17 residential homes were burned, and 105 houses and 44 workplaces were evacuated in Izmir’s Yamanlar neighbourhood.
