Turkiye records 761 fires in 10 days as whole villages razed in Izmir

IZMIR, TURKIYE (dpa)

Turkiye has recorded 761 fires over the last 10 days, around a quarter of all blazes this year, government figures showed on Sunday.

As of Sunday, all of them had been extinguished or brought under control, the Turkiye Communications Directorate said.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said at least 228 homes have been severely damaged in the fires in Izmir alone, where the full extent of the damage is still being determined. People who have lost their homes will be temporarily housed in containers, he said.

The fires have wreaked widespread destruction, burning three villages to the ground in Izmir and killing an 81-year-old bedridden man and two rescue workers.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in other parts of the country in recent days.

Turkiye has 27 firefighting planes and 105 firefighting helicopters at its disposal, according to official figures.