ISTANBUL, Aug 17, (Xinhua): A forest fire that erupted Saturday at around 4:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) in Türkiye's northwestern province of Canakkale has forced the evacuation of five villages, authorities said. Canakkale Governor Omer Toraman said on social media platform X that 11 planes and 10 helicopters, along with ground crews, have been deployed to battle the blaze.

The villages were evacuated as a precaution, as the fire spread rapidly due to strong winds, Toraman said. According to weather reports, winds in the region are blowing at around 50 km per hour.

Meanwhile, Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on X that efforts are continuing "with full force and without interruption" to bring the blaze under control as soon as possible. Canakkale, along with the northwestern provinces of Kocaeli and Bursa, has battled forest fires in the past month, driven by extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds. Yumakli said a wildfire erupting on Friday in Kocaeli was brought under control as of Saturday.