A wildfire in Türkiye's northwestern Çanakkale province forced authorities to suspend maritime traffic through a key strait, evacuate villages and shut the airport on Friday, as firefighters battled the blazes, officials said.
Türkiye "temporarily" shut the Çanakkale Strait, or the Dardanelles, in both directions, the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry said, amid heavy smoke and reduced visibility in the narrow waterway.
Tribeca Shipping, which provides agency services to ships, stated in a notice to its clients that firefighting aircraft were collecting water from the sea, and that the sea route was therefore closed to traffic.
The wildfire, fueled by strong winds, also prompted authorities to evacuate three villages, a university campus and an elderly care home, reports said.
The fire broke out at an agricultural field near Sarıcaeli village before spreading rapidly into a nearby forested area.
With the flames approaching dangerously close to the care home and a campus of the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, both facilities were evacuated as a precaution, the media said.
Eight planes, four helicopters, dozens of fire trucks, and heavy machinery have been deployed, Çanakkale Governor Ömer Toraman wrote on the social media platform X.
Images broadcast by Turkish media showed firefighters being forced to abandon one of their trucks on a forest road as the flames engulfed it.
A separate statement by the Transport Ministry said the fire broke out across from the Çanakkale Airport and that the runway at the airport had been temporarily closed to all flights until 8 p.m., except for state aircraft, ambulances, search and rescue and firefighting aircraft.
Authorities warned of further strong winds at the weekend, with temperatures expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius.
Linking the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles Strait is a popular tourist destination because it is also the site of the ancient ruins of the city of Troy.
Türkiye has been battling wildfires across the country for weeks amid severe hot, dry and windy conditions.
In July, one wildfire killed at least 10 forest workers and rescuers who were fighting a blaze near Ekişehir in western Türkiye.
Authorities say the risk of fires will remain high until October.
Scientists say human-caused climate change is raising the likelihood and intensity of wildfires.
