Türkiye's Canakkale Wildfires Trigger Evacuation Orders

(MENAFN) Fast-moving wildfires engulfed parts of Türkiye’s northwestern Canakkale province on Monday, prompting the evacuation of over 2,000 residents and severely disrupting air, land, and sea traffic, officials confirmed.

Governor Omer Toraman stated on social media platform X that 77 individuals were being treated for smoke inhalation, though no life-threatening injuries had been reported.

Blazes ignited in two separate areas, quickly spreading into populated zones and forcing emergency evacuations of 2,090 people via both land and sea routes, Toraman noted.

Operations at Canakkale Airport were halted, and maritime traffic through the Dardanelles Strait — a critical global waterway connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea — was suspended in both directions. According to the Directorate of Coastal Safety, the strait will remain closed until midnight.

Ground transit also took a hit, with a section of highway shut down due to encroaching flames. Firefighting efforts remain underway, with both aerial and ground units deployed, backed by heavy equipment, Toraman added.

Footage aired by media showed scorched homes and vehicles consumed by flames, illustrating the fire’s devastating toll.

The region is still reeling from two other wildfires that broke out last Friday, which also triggered mass evacuations and widespread travel disruption.

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