Turkey Identifies Cause of Forest Fires in Izmir

The cause of the forest fire that broke out in the Karşıyaka district near the Turkish city of Izmir, located on the Aegean Sea coast, was a bonfire lit by three local residents. This was announced by Turkey's Minister of Agriculture, Ibrahim Yumaklı, as reported by TASS citing the TRT Haber television channel.

“The fire in the Ödemiş area of Izmir was ignited by children smoking in the grass; they have been apprehended. Currently, there is no risk of the fire spreading to residential areas,” Yumaklı added.

According to the television channel, firefighting efforts continued throughout the night, and by Saturday morning, the wind's intensity had decreased. Authorities expect to bring the situation under control in the upcoming hours.

According to data from Turkey's Ministry of Health, 78 people have been affected by the forest fire in Izmir, with 29 receiving treatment in hospitals. As a result of the fire, 17 houses were burned in the Yamanlar suburb of Izmir. On Friday evening, the fire reached residential neighborhoods in the city, which has a population of 4 million.