Massive wildfires force evacuations in Türkiye's Antalya Province

Massive wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya Province, forcing hundreds of people from their homes. Videos from the area that surfaced on social media show apocalyptic scenes of hills engulfed in flames and black smoke darkening the skies.

The fire broke out in Antalya’s Aksu district on Monday and soon spread to the neighboring Kepez district, according to Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency. At least one local resident died of a heart attack after being affected by smoke from the fires, local authorities said. Two people were also hospitalized with leg injuries linked to the blaze, while eight others were treated for smoke inhalation.

Authorities evacuated people from at least 254 homes in the two districts and temporarily closed a highway linking the Mediterranean coastal resort city of Antalya with Isparta, some 130 kilometers to the north. More than 2,000 homes in the region were also affected by power outages.

Five firefighting aircraft, ten helicopters, more than 160 fire engines and 1,000 personnel were deployed to tackle the blaze.

Clips published online showed massive walls of fire raging through mountain forests, leaving scorched earth behind as heavy smoke filled the skies. At night, the sky over the hills affected by the blaze turned red.

The wildfires came after a particularly hot summer in Europe. Western and Central Europe endured an extraordinary succession of heatwaves, drought, wildfires and water shortages. Temperatures repeatedly climbed above 40C (104F), rivers fell to historic lows and crops withered.

France, the UK and Belgium all recorded their hottest summers on record. In some areas, drought was also followed by violent storms and flash flooding.