Wildfires rage across southern Türkiye

ANTALYA  

Wildfires continued to burn across southern Türkiye on July 29, with major blazes active in the tourist hubs of Antalya and Muğla while firefighters scrambled to suppress separate outbreaks in Adıyaman and Manisa.

Meanwhile, a potentially dangerous fire in Mersin was extinguished before reaching nearby forested land.

The most serious fire continued for a second day in Antalya’s Kaş district, where flames broke out in the Üzümlü neighborhood before dawn on July 28. Ground crews worked through the night in steep, rocky terrain, facing difficult conditions as they sought to contain the blaze. At daybreak, helicopters and firefighting aircraft resumed water drops to support operations from the air. A total of 26 fire engines, nine water supply vehicles, five rapid-response units and 155 forestry personnel and firefighters have been deployed to the area.

Elsewhere in Antalya, two forest fires that erupted on the morning of July 29 in Kumluca district were brought under control after rapid intervention. One fire in Sarıcasu neighborhood was contained after about an hour, while another near Kartal Lake in Sarıkavak neighborhood was extinguished within roughly 30 minutes. Cooling operations remain underway at both sites and gendarmerie teams have launched investigations into the causes of the fires.

In neighboring Muğla province, another wildfire broke out in Seydikemer district after flames that started in agricultural land spread into nearby forest. Firefighting aircraft and ground teams continued working to prevent the blaze from spreading further.

Wildfires also continued in other parts of the country. In southeastern Adıyaman, a fire that began in grassland spread into forest near Kayaönü village, triggering a coordinated response involving forestry teams, firefighters, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and other agencies. Officials said aerial operations ended after nightfall, but ground crews remained on the scene.

Governor Abdullah Küçük said the fire appeared to be under control and posed no immediate threat to nearby settlements. He said 21 vehicles and 96 personnel remained engaged in firefighting efforts, while local authorities took precautions to protect nearby residential areas and a solid waste storage facility.

In the western province of Manisa, firefighters continued battling a blaze in olive groves and scrubland near Alaşehir district.

Meanwhile, in Mersin’s Aydıncık district, firefighters successfully extinguished a fire that started in agricultural land before it could spread into surrounding forest. Authorities said cooling operations were completed after the blaze was brought under control.

Türkiye faces wildfires every summer, when high temperatures, dry vegetation and strong winds can rapidly intensify fires and complicate containment efforts.