Major wildfires under control in country’s west

ISTANBUL

Firefighting teams managed to extinguish two more wildfires in western Türkiye on Aug. 19, bringing the most severe blazes under control, with over 30 suspects detained in connection with the disasters.

The country witnessed its most severe fires of the season over the weekend, notably in the western province of İzmir, with the majority being subdued by Aug. 18.

The blaze in the western city of Manisa was finally contained on Aug. 19 after six days of relentless efforts, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı told reporters.

In Uşak, where fires raged for nearly two days, the situation has also been brought under control, the minister added.

The conflagrations in İzmir, Manisa and Aydın have inflicted damage on 142 structures, with comprehensive damage assessments still underway, said Okay Memiş, the head of the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

"In all provinces, our emergency response teams remain on high alert, providing personnel support to fire management centers. We have deployed 99 aerial vehicles, and 4,700 residents from affected settlements have been evacuated to safe locations," Memiş explained.

The weekend's most significant blaze, which erupted in the Karşıyaka district of İzmir and has been described as the largest of the season, was ignited by three individuals lighting a fire in a picnic area.

Another fire in the Ödemiş district of the country's third-largest province was caused by two children smoking in a wooded area.

Speaking to the media on Aug. 19, İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban stated that the fires in Menderes and Urla districts were sparked by downed power lines.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç noted that 22 suspects were detained in connection with the fires in seven provinces between Aug. 12-17, with nine of them being remanded in custody.

Local media reported that 247 fires erupted nationwide between Aug. 15-19.

The forestry minister repeatedly emphasized that the vast majority of these wildfires were human-induced and warned that the western regions of the country remain at significant risk due to extreme temperatures expected later this week.

Local media highlighted that forest fires across the country have surged by a staggering 78 percent compared to last year. According to data from the General Directorate of Forestry, 1,419 forest fires were recorded in Türkiye between Jan. 1 and Aug. 19 of last year, while this year, the figure has escalated to 2,529 during the same period.