A fast-moving wildfire in the Aksu district of Turkey’s Antalya province is severely affecting the areas of Topallı and Karaöz, as flames spread amid an intense heat wave and strong winds.
The fire is threatening residential areas, agricultural land and greenhouses, while thick smoke and ash have reached central Antalya, turning the sky red and reducing visibility across the area.
Authorities temporarily closed the main highway connecting Antalya with the northern city of Isparta because of the dense smoke. Emergency crews managed to significantly weaken the main blaze during the early hours of Tuesday, September 8, but Turkey’s General Directorate of Forestry maintained a large-scale response as embers and Mediterranean winds of up to 30 km/h continued to trigger secondary fires in forested areas.
