Nearly 1,000 firefighters battle blaze in Türkiye’s Çanakkale

Firefighting operations are underway in the Gelibolu district of Türkiye’s Çanakkale province, where a forest fire that broke out on August 16 afternoon has forced the evacuation of several villages.

The blaze began at 16:28 between the villages of Tayfur and Cumalı and, fanned by strong winds, quickly spread into nearby forested areas around Eceabat, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Çanakkale Governor Ömer Toraman confirmed that 251 residents from five villages were evacuated to safe zones. Of these, 112 people have been housed in the youth guesthouse in Eceabat. Toraman noted that none of the evacuated settlements had been directly affected by the fire so far.

A large-scale firefighting effort has been mobilised, involving 75 water tankers, 20 fire engines, 16 bulldozers, 84 other vehicles, and nearly 1,000 personnel. Operations continued throughout the night, while aerial support resumed at dawn. Drones are also being used to monitor the spread of the fire.

“Our teams are doing everything possible to bring the fire under control,” Governor Toraman said.

By Khagan Isayev