Izmir, Turkey – Wildfires continued to tear through Izmir for a second day, forcing more than 50,000 people to evacuate and halting operations at the city’s main airport.

Strong winds reaching up to 117 km/h (75 mph) helped spread the blaze rapidly between the districts of Seferihisar and Menderes on Sunday.

Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport suspended all flights as smoke and flames advanced dangerously close.

Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said wind speeds of 40–50 km/h (25–30 mph) overnight fueled fires in Kuyucak and Doganbey. Over 1,000 personnel, helicopters, fire-extinguishing aircraft, and support vehicles were mobilized.

Despite the efforts, winds earlier grounded helicopters, leaving just two planes and ground crews to fight the blaze.

AFAD, the national disaster agency, confirmed more than 50,000 people from 41 settlements had been moved to safety.

Footage from the scene showed helicopters dropping water, smoke pouring over blackened hills, and tractors pulling water tanks.

In Urkmez village, residents were forced to cut trees to create firebreaks and protect their homes.

Another fire erupted at a landfill in Gaziemir, just 13 kilometers from central Izmir, spreading into nearby woodland and threatening the Otokent industrial zone.

Footage broadcast by NTV showed at least one car dealership on fire.

Turkey’s coastal regions have suffered increasingly severe wildfires in recent years, worsened by hotter, drier summers linked to climate change.

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