Fires in Çanakkale mostly managed following struggles throughout the night and evacuations
Wildfires Rage in Canakkale, Turkey
Wildfires have been ongoing in Canakkale, Turkey since mid-August, with multiple active fires particularly around the city center and the Gelibolu district in the northwestern province. The fires began on Thursday, with a major blaze breaking out near Sarıcaeli village and rapidly spreading to forests due to strong winds and hot weather.
Efforts to control the wildfires have been extensive. Multiple firefighting aircraft, including 7-8 planes and 4-6 helicopters, have been deployed to combat the flames, collecting water from the nearby sea. Dozens of fire trucks and heavy machinery have been used on the ground to fight the fires.
Precautionary evacuations have been necessary, with villages, a university campus (Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University), and an elderly care home being evacuated as the fires approached. The Canakkale airport and the Dardanelles (Çanakkale) Strait, a key maritime route, have also been temporarily closed due to heavy smoke and safety concerns during firefighting operations.
As of August 12, fires in some districts like Ezine and Ayvacik were largely under control, but blazes near the city center and around the southern Dardanelles Strait continued burning with no immediate danger reported to residential areas. However, on August 17, new significant wildfires were still reported in Canakkale’s Gelibolu district.
The fires have caused significant damage, with flames reaching perilously close to residential zones, including a nearby housing complex. As a result, 654 villagers from Saçaklı, Ahmetçeli, Doğancı, Zeytinli, and Pıtıreli were relocated to safer spots. The fire in Sarıcaeli damaged several homes in Saçaklı, with some completely destroyed.
Minister Yumaklı has detained four suspects in connection with the Sarıcaeli fire. Investigations into the causes of the fires are underway. The fire in Saricaeli broke out around 1:30 p.m. near a forested area close to the village. Unfortunately, a fire truck became trapped in the inferno and was rendered unusable.
Despite the challenges, no injuries have been reported in the fires. Additional evacuations involved two people from a radio and TV transmission tower, and 52 residents from the Sarıcaeli Special Care Center. The fire even approached Cankakale Mehmet Akif Ersoy State Hospital, leading to partial patient transfers. Cankakale Onsekiz Mart University cleared its Terzioglu Campus of all but essential technical staff for safety.
The fires in the village of Sacakli have been brought under substantial control by firefighters. The Sarıcaeli fire was contained by around 9 p.m., with cooling operations ongoing to prevent re-ignition. The Dardanelles Strait was temporarily closed to shipping as a precaution against the spreading smoke and flames. The Canakkale airport halted passenger flights but kept operations open for firefighting aircraft.
The situation remains serious, but firefighting efforts have largely contained some wildfires, while others are still actively being battled with extensive resources committed to preventing further spread and protecting local communities.
The fires in Canakkale, Turkey, are not just a local issue, but a clear sign of how climate change can exacerbate environmental-science challenges, such as wildfires and weather anomalies.
The ongoing fires, fueled by hot weather and strong winds, have raised concerns about long-term implications for the region's climate and environmental-science balance, requiring increased focus on studying and mitigating climate-change effects.
