Hundreds evacuated in northwestern Turkey as authorities fight wildfires

12/8/2025 7:10

Firefighters in Turkey are battling wildfires in the centre of the northwestern province of Canakkale, fanned by strong winds, and hundreds of residents have evacuated in precaution, local authorities and media said on Monday.



Airplanes, helicopters, vehicles and around 700 personnel are fighting the blazes, city Governor Omer Toraman said in a post on X.



Authorities launched some precautionary evacuations, including a university campus, and military and residential areas, and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles.



The city's airport and the Dardanelles Strait, as well as a part of the highway, were shut due to the wildfires for several hours on Monday before re-opening after sunset.



Reuters images showed blazes consuming swathes of forest, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.