Residential neighborhoods in Izmir are being threatened by encroaching forest fires.
A wildfire in Izmir's forest region is encroaching upon the city's residential zones, resulting in an alarming smog enveloping the Turkish urban center. The local authorities have evacuated numerous homes and businesses due to this escalating issue. Unfortunately, some homes have already suffered irreversible damage.
Around 3,000 personnel are tackling the blaze in Izmir, facing strong winds. As per Anadolu, 900 individuals have been evacuated from two affected districts, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
The fire department is deploying five firefighting planes, 15 helicopters, bulldozers, and other heavy machinery to confront the flames. A representative of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that approximately 2,965 personnel with over 600 vehicles are mobilized in the Izmir province, located on the Aegean coast. The root cause of the fire remains an enigma, as the blaze ignited in Izmir's northern region on Thursday evening.
In the Karsiyaka industrial region, the flames scorched 30 businesses, as confirmed by Mayor Cemil Tugay. A high-rise apartment building also erupted in flames, as evidenced by footage from TRT, where the rooftop is visible in flames. The powerful winds fanned the flames, causing the fire to advance into the city and hindering firefighters from extinguishing the blaze, as parts of the roof collapsed onto the ground, damaging parked vehicles.
In prior instances, various homes in different residential areas were incinerated, shared Izmir Mayor, Şuleyman Elban. At least one village was forced to evacuate, and miraculously, no injuries have been reported.
City Center's Smoky Veil
The urban heart of Izmir is concealed in a dense smog. This city, the third-largest in Turkey, is synonymous with popular beach resorts stuck to the Aegean.
Due to high winds exceeding 80 kilometers per hour, aerial firefighting had to be momentarily halted in Karsiyaka on Friday, as per Anadolu.
Turkey has been grappling with a heatwave and forest fires wracking the nation since summer's inception. TRT reported that forests were ignited in at least six cities and provinces on Friday, out of which Canakkale, Manisa, and Bolu were prominent western cities, and a mammoth forest fire had also recently ravaged a neighborhood north of Athens in Greece.
The smog from the wildfires in Izmir's forest region has reached the city center, creating a hazy veil over the urban heart. Despite the challenging wind conditions, over 3,000 personnel are working tirelessly to extinguish the fires, including the use of five firefighting planes and 15 helicopters.
