Firefighters in Turkey brought several wildfires under control on Tuesday, including a large blaze in the northwestern province of Canakkale that had forced hundreds of residents to flee.
The fires, which erupted on Monday, prompted the temporary closure of Canakkale Airport and the Dardanelles Strait — a key waterway linking the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said in a post on X that blazes in Canakkale province, along the southern Dardanelles Strait, and in the western province of Izmir had been fully contained.
Among those affected was Tugbagul Altan Gulgun, 40, who said she and her family escaped within minutes, grabbing only a few belongings. She had attempted to protect her home by removing flammable materials and watering trees and surfaces nearby, but the flames still reached the property.
“Our house was burnt on one side. It looks like you can go inside, but many of our belongings, as well as the rooms and doors, are charred,” she said.
reuters/s.s