A large forest fire has been burning for a second day today in the province of Canakkale in northwestern Turkey, prompting the evacuation of villages, the flames threatening towns and blocking the passage of ships through the Dardanelles Straits.

The forest fire has spread to an area of ​​15,000 hectares, the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry announced.

A total of 1,251 people from nine villages as well as a university campus were forced to leave the area, the provincial governor announced.

Nine houses and about 10 cattle sheds have been destroyed by the fire, as a result of which about 90 animals have been burned.

The Dardanelles open and close

Maritime traffic in the Dardanelles Straits in the Sea of ​​Marmara has been obstructed since last night.

This morning they were closed for the second time in both directions in order not to endanger the 8 airplanes and 26 helicopters involved in extinguishing the fire and which are being supplied with water from the area, Minister Ibrahim Youmakli explained.

The intensity of the winds, which yesterday Tuesday were blowing at a speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour, making the work of extinguishing difficult, this morning has decreased. But authorities fear they will strengthen again in the afternoon and reach 60 kilometers per hour.

Turkey is trying to modernize firefighting equipment after the devastating fires that hit its southern and western coasts in 2021. At the time, more than 2,000,000 hectares of forest had burned and at least nine people had lost their lives.