Turkish fire crews battle blazes along southern coast as two hotspots remain active

Firefighting crews in Turkey were battling two major wildfires along the country’s southern coastline on Tuesday, while authorities said they had brought four other blazes in the region under control. The General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) said the fires in Antalya’s Aksu district and Adana’s Kozan district remained active, with aerial and ground units still working to contain them.

About 30 aircraft, heavy machinery and roughly 1,000 personnel are deployed across the affected areas, according to officials. The Aksu blaze, which broke out Monday evening and spread quickly in strong winds, forced residents to evacuate and briefly shut a stretch of the Antalya-Isparta highway after flames reached the roadside, state news agency Anadolu reported.

In Antalya’s Serik district, a separate fire that was earlier brought under control damaged five homes and left three people hospitalized with smoke inhalation, Anadolu said.

Wildfires are a recurring summer threat in Turkey, where months of drought, low humidity and seasonal winds create tinderbox conditions. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı has said the country recorded more than 5,000 wildfires in 2025, with 96% traced directly or indirectly to human activity — a figure that has intensified calls for stricter prevention and rural fire-safety measures.