New wildfires erupted Friday along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, prompting authorities to declare two western provinces disaster zones as the crisis escalated.
In Antalya, a popular summer destination, dramatic images showed smoke and flames rising dangerously close to high-rise apartment buildings. Authorities ordered evacuations in the city center and the Aksu district on the outskirts as the fire rapidly spread, according to private news agency DHA.
Strong winds hampered firefighting efforts and forced the closure of a major coastal highway. Farther along the coast, homes in the city of Manavgat were also under threat.
Local residents joined firefighters, using garden hoses and buckets to battle the flames, while helicopters and firefighting planes dropped water from above. Police water cannons and municipal water trucks also took part in the massive effort to control the blaze.
“The fires were extremely alarming because they broke out in urban areas, between houses,” said a local official. “We evacuated some of the homes… Fortunately, there have been no fatalities or injuries.”
The fires coincide with an intense heatwave. Antalya recorded a sweltering 46.1°C (115°F) this week—the highest temperature for July since records began in 1930.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that the provinces of Izmir and Bilecik had been declared “public life–impacting disaster areas,” one level below the most severe emergency classification.
Since June 27, residents in 120 neighborhoods across the country have been evacuated, Yerlikaya added. More than 12,000 government personnel, including police officers and rescue teams, have been mobilized to battle the fires.
According to Yerlikaya, at least 311 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged in the past month, and 85 temporary housing units have been set up in three western provinces to shelter those displaced.
Speaking after Friday prayers, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the situation as “a truly major disaster.” He said that 25,000 personnel were fighting wildfires across the country, supported by 27 aircraft, 105 helicopters, and 6,000 ground vehicles.
