Firefighters battle to contain wildfires in western Turkey for second day

Western Türkiye is battling massive wildfires driven by extreme heat and strong winds, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate from five regions across the country.

Wildfires in Izmir province are entering their third day, fueled by scorching temperatures and winds reaching 40 to 50 kilometers per hour.

The province's airport was briefly closed, and over 50-thousand residents from 41 settlements have been evacuated.

More than 1,000 personnel are involved in firefighting efforts; however, dense smoke and strong winds are hampering aerial extinguishing efforts.

Türkiye's Forestry Minister warned that the situation may worsen without a drop in temperature and wind speeds.

Emergency services remain on alert, with resources being shifted to vulnerable coastal areas.

The blazes form a part of a wider Western Europe heatwave, with temperatures across the region running 5 to 10 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms.