TURKEY EVACUATES THOUSANDS AS FIREFIGHTERS COMBAT WILDFIRES. (PHOTO).

Turkey evacuates thousands as firefighters combat wildfires

Firefighters continued to battle wildfires across Turkey on Sunday amid an intense Mediterranean heat wave, prompting authorities to evacuate more than 3,600 residents from affected areas in multiple provinces. The southern provinces of Mersin and Antalya, along with the central province of Usak, saw their fires largely brought under control, but significant blazes persisted in the northwestern province of Bursa and the northern province of Karabuk, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli reported.

In Bursa, a wildfire erupted Saturday in a forested area between the Gursu and Kestel districts, a region known for its concentration of Turkey’s auto industry. The fire briefly forced the closure of a highway linking Istanbul and Izmir. Intense flames threatened residential areas as thick smoke blanketed the city. Authorities evacuated 1,765 people from Kestel, while roughly 2,000 firefighters worked to contain the blaze using six firefighting planes and four helicopters. Meanwhile, in Karabuk, a large wildfire had been burning for five days, leading to the evacuation of 1,839 residents from 19 villages. Fire crews deployed three planes and 16 helicopters to combat the flames under challenging conditions. Minister Yumakli warned that the extreme heat and dry weather—temperatures expected to surpass 40 degrees Celsius, well above seasonal averages—make the situation precarious and unlikely to improve soon. Notably, southeastern Turkey recorded temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius on Saturday, marking a historic high.