Türkiye evacuates thousands as firefighters battle wildfires

Ankara [Turkey], July 28: Firefighters battled wildfires across Türkiye on Sunday amid a searing Mediterranean heat-wave, with authorities evacuating more than 3,600 people from settlements in two provinces.
Wildfires in the southern provinces of Mersin and Antalya as well as the central province of Usak were largely brought under control, but blazes in the northwestern province of Bursa and the northern province of Karabuk were still burning, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters.
According to Reuters, wildfire broke out in a forested area between the Gursu and Kestel districts of Bursa, home to much of Türkiye's auto industry, on Saturday. Part of a highway connecting Istanbul with the western city of Izmir was briefly closed on Saturday night due to the fire.
Huge flames engulfed trees in areas close to homes in Bursa as smoke covered the sky over the city, footage showed.
Temperatures in several regions in Türkiye were forecast to reach over 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 6 to 12 degrees above seasonal norms, Türkiye's meteorological service said, as thermometers hit 50 degrees Celsius in the country's southeast on Saturday for the first time in recorded history.
Source: Emirates News Agency