Turkey battles deadly wildfires as Greece brings blaze in Crete under control
Firefighters in Turkey remained locked in a battle to contain flames tearing through forested hillsides in the west of the country on Friday, while similar wildfires in neighboring Greece were largely brought under control.
Wildfires that broke out in at least five locations across Turkey's Aegean coastal province of İzmir -- fueled by soaring temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity -- have killed two people, forced the evacuation of tens of thousands and damaged some 200 homes.
Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumakli said Friday that firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft, remained on the ground battling a deadly wildfire near the town of Odemis for a third day. Elsewhere, emergency crews worked to halt the spread of a new blaze that broke out late Thursday near the district of Buca.
The fire near Odemis claimed two lives — a forestry worker who died Thursday trying to contain the flames, and an 81-year-old resident who succumbed to smoke inhalation, according to authorities.
"Our intense air and land fight to control the fires in Odemis and Buca," continues, the minister said on X, without providing further details.
Another wildfire that broke out Wednesday near the popular vacation destination of Cesme was contained Friday, Yumakli said. The fire prompted the evacuation of three neighborhoods and caused temporary road closures.
In Greece, a coastal wildfire on Crete remained under control. But the fire service maintained a large deployment on the island as the authorities feared flare ups due to strong winds.
More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and local residents were moved out of the area on Wednesday as the blaze threatened seaside resorts. Several areas of the country remain on alert due to the adverse weather conditions.
Local authorities in Crete estimate that the wildfire has burned approximately 15 square kilometers (3,700 acres) of land.
Turkish officials have not provided an estimate of the total land area consumed by the fires.
Authorities said most of the fires Izmir were caused by faults on power lines. Yumakli blamed the blaze in Buca on sparks caused by construction workers using a grinder to cut through metal.
Summer wildfires are common in both Greece and Turkey, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
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Nahar Net
20 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Turkey battles deadly wildfires as Greece brings blaze in Crete under control
by Naharnet Newsdesk 04 July 2025, 14:56 Firefighters in Turkey remained locked in a battle to contain flames tearing through forested hillsides in the west of the country on Friday, while similar wildfires in neighboring Greece were largely brought under control. Wildfires that broke out in at least five locations across Turkey's Aegean coastal province of İzmir -- fueled by soaring temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity -- have killed two people, forced the evacuation of tens of thousands and damaged some 200 homes. Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumakli said Friday that firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft, remained on the ground battling a deadly wildfire near the town of Odemis for a third day. Elsewhere, emergency crews worked to halt the spread of a new blaze that broke out late Thursday near the district of Buca. The fire near Odemis claimed two lives — a forestry worker who died Thursday trying to contain the flames, and an 81-year-old resident who succumbed to smoke inhalation, according to authorities. "Our intense air and land fight to control the fires in Odemis and Buca," continues, the minister said on X, without providing further details. Another wildfire that broke out Wednesday near the popular vacation destination of Cesme was contained Friday, Yumakli said. The fire prompted the evacuation of three neighborhoods and caused temporary road closures. In Greece, a coastal wildfire on Crete remained under control. But the fire service maintained a large deployment on the island as the authorities feared flare ups due to strong winds. More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and local residents were moved out of the area on Wednesday as the blaze threatened seaside resorts. Several areas of the country remain on alert due to the adverse weather conditions. Local authorities in Crete estimate that the wildfire has burned approximately 15 square kilometers (3,700 acres) of land. Turkish officials have not provided an estimate of the total land area consumed by the fires. Authorities said most of the fires Izmir were caused by faults on power lines. Yumakli blamed the blaze in Buca on sparks caused by construction workers using a grinder to cut through metal. Summer wildfires are common in both Greece and Turkey, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
Nahar Net
20 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Turkey battles deadly wildfires as Greece brings blaze in Crete under control
by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours Firefighters in Turkey remained locked in a battle to contain flames tearing through forested hillsides in the west of the country on Friday, while similar wildfires in neighboring Greece were largely brought under control. Wildfires that broke out in at least five locations across Turkey's Aegean coastal province of İzmir -- fueled by soaring temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity -- have killed two people, forced the evacuation of tens of thousands and damaged some 200 homes. Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumakli said Friday that firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft, remained on the ground battling a deadly wildfire near the town of Odemis for a third day. Elsewhere, emergency crews worked to halt the spread of a new blaze that broke out late Thursday near the district of Buca. The fire near Odemis claimed two lives — a forestry worker who died Thursday trying to contain the flames, and an 81-year-old resident who succumbed to smoke inhalation, according to authorities. "Our intense air and land fight to control the fires in Odemis and Buca," continues, the minister said on X, without providing further details. Another wildfire that broke out Wednesday near the popular vacation destination of Cesme was contained Friday, Yumakli said. The fire prompted the evacuation of three neighborhoods and caused temporary road closures. In Greece, a coastal wildfire on Crete remained under control. But the fire service maintained a large deployment on the island as the authorities feared flare ups due to strong winds. More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and local residents were moved out of the area on Wednesday as the blaze threatened seaside resorts. Several areas of the country remain on alert due to the adverse weather conditions. Local authorities in Crete estimate that the wildfire has burned approximately 15 square kilometers (3,700 acres) of land. Turkish officials have not provided an estimate of the total land area consumed by the fires. Authorities said most of the fires Izmir were caused by faults on power lines. Yumakli blamed the blaze in Buca on sparks caused by construction workers using a grinder to cut through metal. Summer wildfires are common in both Greece and Turkey, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Nahar Net
Elderly man dies as wildfires rage in Turkey
Firefighters on Thursday discovered the body of an elderly man after extinguishing a wildfire near a village in western Turkey, while crews elsewhere continued to battle another blaze that closed a highway and forced some residents to be evacuated from their homes. The 81-year-old-man died from smoke inhalation in a village near the town of Odemis, Suleyman Elban, the governor for Izmir province, said. His death marks the first fatality in a series of wildfires across the country that have forced thousands to flee. A total of 37 other villagers were safely evacuated by security forces and emergency teams, Elban said. Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to extinguish a wildfire blazing in the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a tourism hotspot some 192 kilometers (120 miles) west of Odemis. That wildfire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighborhoods and closed roads. Television footage of the blaze showed flames burning through dried vegetation on both sides of a road. Elban said the wildfires in Izmir province are believed to have been sparked by electrical lines, which ignited dry grass and spread rapidly due to wind. In the past week, Turkey has battled hundreds of fires across the country that were fueled by fierce winds, scorching heat and low humidity. The fires — most of which were brought under control — damaged or destroyed around 200 homes, the majority in İzmir, the Interior Ministry said. Dozens of barns were also destroyed. As firefighting crews battled the blazes, Turkey's parliament adopted the country's first climate law late Wednesday, in a move aimed at reaching net-zero emissions by 2053. The legislation includes measures to establish a carbon market board to oversee efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission. It also imposes fines on companies that fail to comply with the requirements. The U.K.-based environmental advocacy group ClientEarth on Thursday welcomed the law's symbolic importance but said it has several shortcomings. "The law lacks ambitious, science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the medium-term and offers no commitment to phasing out fossil fuels," the group said.
