Firefighters Battle Forest Fire Near Turkey's Izmir for Second Day

Thousands of firefighters have been fighting a forest fire near the coastal city of Izmir in Turkey for the second day, with the flames spreading into residential neighborhoods.

Local authorities have evacuated nearly 900 people from affected areas, as stated by Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya last night.

Approximately 2,965 personnel and nearly 600 units of equipment are participating in firefighting efforts in the Izmir province, according to statements from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s press office.

In one of Izmir's neighborhoods, the fire has damaged 30 buildings, reported the city’s mayor, Cemil Tugay. The fire spread to a ten-story residential building, but firefighters successfully evacuated residents and extinguished the blaze.

In the nearby city of Manisa, an additional 1,440 people have been evacuated from residential areas due to the threat posed by the fire.

Turkey's Minister of Agriculture, Ibrahim Yumaklı, announced on TRT Haber television that the fire in Izmir's forested area broke out “during a party,” and police are searching for those responsible.