A forest fire has broken out in a resort area of Turkey

A powerful forest fire has engulfed the Turkish resort area of Çeşme on the Aegean Sea, with flames approaching homes, and residents of three villages already evacuated.

As reported by TUT.AZ, this was announced by the NTV channel.

According to the information received, the disaster broke out at 14:40 Baku time on agricultural lands in the Ildır area. Due to gusty winds, the flames quickly spread to the forest. "Impressive forces are involved in fighting the fire: 5 aircraft, 18 helicopters, and 36 fire trucks," the emergency message states.

According to rescue services, residents of three settlements have been urgently evacuated for safety reasons: Ildır, Germiyan, and Nohutalán. Thick plumes of smoke from the raging fire are already visible to vacationers on the beaches of the popular Çeşme resort.

Turkey's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumaklı, earlier on Wednesday reported the successful completion of a multi-day battle against fire in the Menderes and Seferihisar districts of Izmir province. At the same time, new forest fires broke out on Wednesday in the western provinces of the country - Bursa and Kocaeli.