Wildfires Prompt Evacuations Along Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean Coasts

Key points

• Firefighters were battling blazes in Antalya and Muğla, while authorities said fires in Yalova, Kütahya and Çanakkale were under control.
• In Seydikemer, 408 homes were evacuated, 703 people and about 100 animals moved to safety, and 55 buildings damaged.
• Forty-five patients were transferred from Seydikemer state hospital as crews deployed more than 25 aircraft, 410 vehicles and 1,100 personnel.
• A fire in Kumluca made 10 homes unusable; firefighters controlled the main blaze and continued cooling operations.
• A Balıkesir fire near Altınoluk prompted evacuations from 210 homes, while another blaze in Gömeç remained active.
• Smoke temporarily closed the Fethiye–Antalya highway, which later reopened under controlled conditions; access to Olympos ruins was also closed.
• The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said Antalya, Muğla and Balıkesir remained threatened on Thursday.