site.btaUPDATED Severe Fires Raging in Numerous Provinces of Turkiye, Over 4,000 People Evacuated, 11 Arson Suspects Detained

The fires that broke out a few days ago continue to rage in six provinces of Turkiye, including Aydin, Manisa, Karabuk, and Usak, BTA's correspondent in Istanbul said on Sunday. Two other fires - in Izmir and Bolu - were put out on Sunday after raging since Thursday, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said, as quoted by Reuters.

Fighting fire by air and land continues day and night, Yumakli told the Turkish TRT-Haber news channel. Three aircraft, 15 helicopters, 60 bulldozers and thousands of firefighters were involved in fighting the Izmir fire by air.

Authorities have detained a total of eleven people - seven in Izmir and four in Bolu - who are suspected of causing the fires. Two of them are in custody.

To date, 4,159 people have been evacuated, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on his account on X. He noted that his Ministry transferred TL 13.5 million to the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) to evacuate people.

The situation in the Izmir area remains critical. The struggle to extinguish the wildfires that have affected three neighbourhoods in the city continues.

On Saturday, another fire broke out in the resort village of Urla near Izmir. The occupants of 400 homes were evacuated, the governor of Izmir, Suleyman Elban, told Turkish Haberler news service. He pointed out that the investigation into the cause of the fire found that it originated from an electrical cable. The strong wind had fanned the flames and they quickly reached residential areas. AFAD teams were involved in extinguishing the fire, as well as teams from the Izmir fire brigade, gendarmerie, police and civil defence.

"Two additional helicopters have been sent to extinguish the fires in Izmir, Aydin and Bolu, bringing the total number of helicopters involved in extinguishing the fires to 13," according to information posted on the Turkish Ministry of National Defence's website.

Turkish media reported that one aircraft from Azerbaijan had been sent to extinguish the fires.