WATCH | Turkey Gallipoli Wildfire Forces Over 250 Evacuations as Winds Fan Flames Across Çanakkale Peninsula
A fast-moving forest fire on the Gallipoli peninsula, along the Dardanelles Strait in northwestern Turkey, forced the evacuation of more than 250 residents overnight as firefighters battled intense flames and heavy smoke.
Authorities said the blaze began on Saturday in Çanakkale province and spread rapidly across hills near Gelibolu due to strong winds. As a precaution, Governor Ömer Toraman announced that 251 people from five villages were relocated to safe areas. Video from the scene showed hillsides glowing with flames as thick plumes of smoke rose into the night sky.
Officials noted the region popular with tourists for the ancient ruins of Troy and World War I battlefields at Gallipoli has faced “extremely severe drought” over the past year, compounding fire risks. While overall weather conditions were typical for the season, strong winds across northwestern Turkey in recent days hampered containment before easing on Sunday.
With temperatures above 45 °C, many parts of Southern #Europe are burning: a rare fire tornado tore through #Portugal as wildfires rage across #Spain, #Greece, #Italy, and #Turkey. Spain alone has lost 148,000 ha and displaced 9,500 people. The #pyrocene has arrived in Europe. pic.twitter.com/6Cr6oluMIS
— Peter Dynes (@PGDynes) August 16, 2025
Fire crews worked through the night, with aerial support ramping up at first light: 12 planes and 18 helicopters rejoined a 900-strong ground operation, according to the forestry directorate’s updates on X. Access to historical sites near Eceabat was temporarily closed by the authority overseeing war memorials due to the ongoing emergency.
The incident follows a spate of recent fires in the region. Earlier, another blaze on the opposite side of the strait prompted the evacuation of 2,000 people, with about 80 treated for smoke inhalation. Days before that, a separate fire led to 120 evacuations and a temporary suspension of shipping through the Dardanelles, a key waterway linking the Mediterranean to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System indicates Turkey has recorded 192 wildfires this year, burning more than 110,373 hectares of land. Experts warn that human-driven climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of wildfires and urge sustained national action to reduce risks.