ISTANBUL, Aug 17 (NNN-TRT) – A forest fire that erupted at around 4:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) yesterday, in Türkiye’s north-western province of Canakkale, forced the evacuation of five villages, authorities said.
Canakkale Governor, Omer Toraman, said on social media platform X that, 11 planes and 10 helicopters, along with ground crews, have been deployed to battle the blaze.
The villages were evacuated as a precaution, as the fire spread rapidly due to strong winds, Toraman said.
According to weather reports, winds in the region are blowing at around 50 km per hour.
Meanwhile, Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Ibrahim Yumakli, said that, efforts continue with full force and without interruption, to bring the blaze under control, as soon as possible.
Canakkale, along with the north-western provinces of Kocaeli and Bursa, has battled forest fires in the past month, driven by extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds.
Yumakli said, a wildfire, erupting on Friday, in Kocaeli, was brought under control as of yesterday.– NNN-TRT
