Thick smoke covered almost the entire city, giving the sky orange and gray colors.
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![Smoke rises above the city of Izmir, Turkey, on August 16, 2024. (MEHMET EMIN MENGUARSLAN/ANADOLU)](https://www.francetvinfo.fr/pictures/yD-nS69TijL_vJeS8C5lUa4or80/0x59:1024x635/432x243/2024/08/17/068-aa-16082024-1822929-66c0406bc7bb8820889840.jpg)
Three neighborhoods in Izimir, Turkey’s third-largest city by population, have been evacuated while 16 buildings have been damaged by the fire, local authorities announced on Friday, August 16, specifying that there were no casualties. The forest fire, which started Thursday evening, quickly spread to residential areas due to winds reaching 50 km/h during the day.
Thick smoke covered most of Izmir, turning the sky orange and gray, according to images broadcast by Turkish media. A shelter for stray dogs was also evacuated by animal rights activists. Strong winds made it impossible for water-bombing helicopters to intervene overnight, Turkish news channel NTV reported. Firefighters were sent to reinforce the fire from several cities in Turkey, and the army and law enforcement were mobilized.