Fires that started in a waste disposal area in the towns of Kepez and Ayvacık in Turkiye’s Çanakkale province have spread to forested areas, with response efforts underway both from the air and on the ground.

Axar.az reports that in the Çınarlı area of Çanakkale, the fire is being fought from the air with 9 airplanes and 10 helicopters, and from the ground with 69 vehicles and a team of 685 personnel.

Due to the fire, ship traffic in the Çanakkale Strait, flights at the airport, and vehicle traffic on some main roads have been temporarily suspended. Forty-seven people affected by the smoke have been taken to hospitals.

Çanakkale Governor Ömer Toraman wrote on his X account that the fire in the central district of Çanakkale was spreading rapidly due to strong winds. He stated that the evacuation of residents in the area had begun.