Large wildfires have affected vast areas of western Turkey, forcing authorities to evacuate nearly 4,000 people, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). Helicopters and water bombers, which had been grounded due to strong winds, are now being used to combat the flames in the resort city of Izmir along Turkey’s Aegean coast.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 900 residents in five affected districts were evacuated in Izmir, the country’s third-largest city. A total of 1,430 individuals have been relocated to safety in Izmir, while 1,475 have been evacuated in Manisa, 516 in Bolu, and 550 in Aydin. This evacuation follows the detection of 131 wildfires in agricultural and forest areas across these regions over the past week.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli stated that 17 homes were destroyed overnight, and 105 houses and 44 workplaces were evacuated in the Yamanlar neighborhood of Izmir. “Currently, two aircraft and 11 helicopters are continuing their interventions,” Yumakli said according to AFP.

Approximately 1,600 hectares (about 3,950 acres) have been impacted by the fires. Additionally, six individuals have been arrested on suspicion of arson connected to the wildfires; two in Izmir and four in the northwestern city of Bolu.

Wildfires are common in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions during the dry summer months. Similar incidents have also been reported in other parts of the Mediterranean, where heatwaves have triggered wildfires. In Greece, at least one fatality has been reported following some of the most severe wildfires this year on the outskirts of the capital city, Athens.

Experts point out that climate change is driving extreme weather events worldwide, including wildfires and flooding.