ISTANBUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) — A forest fire erupted on Friday in Türkiye’s northwestern province of Kocaeli, forcing the evacuation of a village as flames neared homes, authorities said.
The blaze broke out around noon in the Karamursel district and spread rapidly due to strong winds, the Kocaeli Governor’s Office said on social media. Residents of Akcat village were being evacuated.
Many homes were destroyed and rendered uninhabitable, the Demiroren News Agency reported, sharing images of charred buildings.
Firefighting efforts were under way from the air and on the ground, involving six planes, 10 helicopters, 75 vehicles, and 200 personnel, the governor’s office said.
Winds in the area were forecast to reach 60 to 80 kilometers per hour until Saturday evening, the statement added, warning residents to take extra precautions.
Kocaeli, along with the northwestern provinces of Canakkale and Bursa, has battled forest fires in the past month, driven by extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds. ■