STORY: Heavy winds hindered efforts to battle raging wildfires in the western Turkish province of Izmir on Sunday (June 29).

Wind gusts up to 100 kilometers per hour made it difficult for helicopters tackling the fires raging through the popular tourist town of Menderes in Izmir province.

Turkish Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said more than 1,000 firefighters backed by 11 planes and 27 helicopters are fighting against the blaze.

Yumakli said three had been hospitalised due to smoke inhalation but discharged later in the day.

Local agencies showed images of civilians trying to combat the fires threatening the residential areas. Four villages and two local neighbourhoods were evacuated due to security measures.

The exact area affected by the fires are not known but flights at Izmir international airport were temporarily suspended due to smoke in the area.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: WILDFIRES RAGING ACROSS WESTERN TURKEY'S IZMIR PROVINCE / PEOPLE AND AUTHORITIES ATTEMPTING TO CONTROL FIRES / SOUNDBITES FROM IZMIR GOVERNOR AND RESIDENTS

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: IZMIR, TURKEY (JUNE 29, 2025) (IHA - No use Turkey) (PART MUTE)

1. VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING FROM WILDFIRES (MUTE)

2. HELICOPTER TRAVELLING ABOVE WILDFIRES

3. SMOKE RISING FROM WILDFIRES (MUTE)

4. VARIOUS OF WILDFIRE BURNING THROUGH TREES ON HILLS

5. HELICOPTER FLYING OVER AFFECTED AREAS

6. RAGING FIRE BURNING BEHIND HOME

7. STRONG FIRES BURNING THROUGH FORESTRY AROUND ROAD

8. STRONG FIRES BURNING BEHIND HOME

9. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING ON STREET AS THICK SMOKE FILLS THE AIR

10. VARIOUS OF LOCALS ATTEMPTING TO HELP MAKESHIFT FIRE ENGINE PUT OUT FIRES

11. MAN SPRAYING TREES WITH WATER AS WILDFIRE RAGES

12. MAN WEARING FACE MASK WALKING IN STREET

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) UNIDENTIFIED LOCAL RESIDENT, SAYING:

"(The fire) has just reached the houses below. I do not know how it will continue there."

14. WILDFIRES

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) UNIDENTIFIED LOCAL RESIDENT, SAYING:

"There are lots of houses there. There is a summer camp. There are lots of houses. The forest goes all the way there. I thought it will not cross the road, but it did. The wind is extremely strong."

16. VARIOUS OF WILDFIRES BURNING THROUGH TREES / SMOKE RISING

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) IZMIR GOVERNOR, SULEYMAN ELBAN, SAYING:

"Because of the heavy wind and dry weather, the fire quickly moved towards to the Menderes district due to the direction of the wind and it is not under control. Our teams are working on the ground, the wind gusts are between 70 to 100 km (per hour), so our air units are not operating."

18. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING FIRES AT HOMES