Strong winds gusting up to 70 kilometers per hour are expected to continue across western Türkiye on July 31, hampering efforts to contain ongoing wildfires and raising the risk of new outbreaks as firefighters battle blazes amid extreme heat.
The Turkish State Meteorological Service issued yellow-level wind warnings — the lowest of its four alert levels, indicating potentially hazardous conditions requiring caution — for 11 provinces, including Istanbul and Izmir, forecasting gale force winds of 50-70 kilometers per hour along the Marmara and northern Aegean coasts through the weekend. Combined with high temperatures and dry conditions, the weather is creating favorable conditions for fires to spread rapidly and reignite in areas where flames had previously been brought under control.
Temperatures are expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius in Aydın and 37 degrees in Muğla, further increasing wildfire danger.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said authorities responded to 169 fires nationwide over the past day, including 110 outside forested areas, with 163 now fully contained.
The most challenging operations remain in Aydın’s Çine district and Balıkesir’s Gömeç district, where aerial and ground crews continue efforts to suppress active fires. Officials said strong winds have repeatedly intensified flames, slowing containment efforts despite continuous firefighting operations.
Several major fires elsewhere have been brought under control. The wildfire in Seydikemer, Muğla, has been fully contained, while fires in Fethiye, Alanya in Antalya, and the Gülnar-Aydıncık area of Mersin are largely under control, with cooling operations continuing.
In Fethiye, firefighters halted the fire’s advance overnight before aircraft joined operations at first light. Although repeated water drops significantly reduced the blaze, strengthening afternoon winds caused flames to flare up again before crews regained control later in the day.
In Balıkesir, firefighting aircraft, helicopters, fire engines and more than 650 personnel remain deployed in Gömeç, where the fire has burned for a second day. As a precaution, residents of Tıfıllar neighborhood in Ayvalık were evacuated due to the advancing flames.
In Antalya, separate fires in Kaş and Alanya have also been contained after intensive aerial and ground operations. Authorities said low humidity and strong winds complicated suppression efforts, while precautionary evacuations were carried out near affected areas. Officials reported that around 50 hectares of land and approximately 15 homes were damaged in the Kumluca area, where damage assessments and cooling operations are ongoing.
