Turkey wildfires: Helicopters, planes douse flames in Izmir as strong winds fan blaze

Helicopters and planes were flying through thick smoke on Saturday to extinguish a wildfire in western Turkey, that has continued for nearly two days. The fire came close to residential areas on Friday, damaging homes and businesses as well as forcing evacuations. Strong winds and low humidity have made it more difficult for firefighting crews to contain the blaze, which Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said was caused by a fire started by three people on a picnic. Yumakli also said Turkish authorities are working to extinguish five wildfires in total across the country. Authorities have warned of a high risk of wildfires at the weekend due to high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds. The wind speed was reaching up to 60 kilometres per hour in Izmir, according to the General Directorate of Forestry. Turkey's coastal regions have in recent years been ravaged by wildfires, as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists relate to climate change. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ Follow Global News on X HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB #GlobalNews #Turkey #wildfires