ISTANBUL, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Major wildfires in northwestern Türkiye's Canakkale province triggered evacuations and significant transport disruptions on Friday, local authorities said.
The fires, erupting near noon in two locations, rapidly spread towards residential areas. Authorities have evacuated parts of Mehmet Akif Ersoy State Hospital, a private elderly care center in Saricaeli village, and a university campus, Canakkale Governor Omer Toraman said on social media platform X.
Firefighting efforts continued intensively both from the air and on the ground, Toraman added.
Ship traffic through the vital Dardanelles Strait was halted, and flights at Canakkale Airport were suspended until 8:00 p.m. local time (1700 GMT).
According to the NTV broadcaster, firefighting teams faced perilous conditions, with one municipal brigade forced to abandon their truck and flee on foot due to sudden wind shifts trapping them amid flames.
Meteorological data showed that wind is expected to remain strong over the weekend, with gusts reaching speeds of 70-75 km per hour.
