ANKARA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye continued to battle raging wildfires since the weekend, prompting the evacuation of multiple areas in the western province of Izmir, while new fires broke out in the southern provinces of Hatay and Adana on Monday.
"We are currently focused on three critical points where the fires are most active. Four villages and two neighborhoods in Izmir were evacuated," Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli said during a press briefing in Izmir on Monday.
Over the past three days, emergency teams had responded to 263 wildfires across the country, he added.
In Izmir alone, more than 1,000 personnel, 106 fire trucks, 14 helicopters, and four firefighting aircraft were deployed, he said, adding that while the intensity of the blaze had decreased, weather conditions, including gusts of wind reaching 70-80 km/h, continued to pose a challenge.
Operations at Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport were briefly suspended due to the proximity of the blaze, local media reported on Monday. Video footage showed helicopters dropping water while smoke clouds rose from scorched hillsides.
In Hatay, flames from a forest fire spread dangerously close to residential areas, with reports confirming that some homes were affected on Monday, the local NTV broadcaster reported. Another wildfire broke out in the Adana province on Monday.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced on Monday that 17 individuals were taken into custody as part of investigations into the cause of the fires. ■
