Türkiye has been battling wildfires for more than a week, with its western province of Izmir among the hardest hit. Thousands have been forced to flee as flames threaten homes and villages.

Ödemiş

Wildfires have been burning for over a week in Türkiye's western İzmir province, resulting in the evacuation of five villages in the Ödemiş district. The fires have claimed the lives of two people, including an elderly bedridden man and a volunteer fighting the flames. Residents describe significant losses, with homes and decades-old olive trees destroyed. Strong winds and the diversion of firefighting resources to other incidents have complicated containment efforts. Authorities emphasize the need for increased awareness and improved planning to address the growing threat of wildfires, which are being intensified by climate change and human activity.

Turkiye wildfires: At least two dead as fires burn for eighth day

Karadoğan village went up in flames on Thursday night, fast and without warning. In the past three days, five villages in İzmir's Ödemiş district in western Turkey have been evacuated. Then on Friday, new fires ignited nearby, threatening more homes. Ahmet, who moved to Karadoğan nearly eight years ago, says he's never cried this much in his life. I was checking the news. They were saying our village is gone, burnt to the ground. I left a few hours before. Thank God we were lucky. Our house is fine. Only the dog's shelter and our outdoor toilet are damaged. Ahmet's wife Nilgün says since they don't have children, she treats the cats and dogs like her babies. We have four dogs. One is paralyzed. I had to take him with me in the car. They say August will be even hotter. We're scared. But we can't just abandon our home. Authorities report that wildfires in İzmir's Ödemiş district have killed two people, an 81-year-old bedridden man and another person who was helping to battle the flames on Thursday night. İdris Akkuş says he's been tied to this land for nearly 50 years. His wife is from Karadoğan, and the land he farms came from her father. These olive trees were 70 years old, all gone now. This land has been in our family for generations. People always smoked or picnicked here, but fires were never this intense. The real issue is pine. If we had olive or walnut trees and kept the land cleared, the fire wouldn't have spread this fast. Strong winds, especially after dark, have been fueling the fires and complicating efforts to put them out. According to the Agriculture Ministry, a separate wildfire in Buca the night before drew away critical teams and equipment, hampering the response here. Turkey's forests are burning, and it's not even peak summer yet. Each fire has a different cause. But the lesson is the same. There needs to be more awareness and smarter planning by authorities. to face a future shaped by climate change and human action in this fragile region.

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