A second fatality has been confirmed in Türkiye’s western Izmir province, where wildfires have been raging for seven days amid intense heat and dry conditions, authorities reported.

The latest victim, backhoe operator İbrahim Demir, died while supporting firefighting efforts in the Ödemiş district, according to local sources. His death follows that of an 81-year-old bedridden man who perished earlier this week when his home was engulfed by flames in the same area. The man was alone at the time, marking the first fatality since the fires began.

Firefighting teams, supported by aircraft and helicopters, are battling blazes across the region’s rugged terrain. Several roads to the popular Aegean resort of Çeşme have been closed as the fires threaten to spread further. Local media footage showed flames nearing a major highway, with emergency water tankers deployed to contain the blaze.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said approximately 200 homes have been damaged, with authorities providing alternative housing for displaced residents. Nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated from at-risk areas as strong winds, low humidity, and extreme heat continue to fuel the fires.

Türkiye, like Greece and other Mediterranean nations, is part of a “wildfire hotspot” where prolonged hot, dry summers, worsened by climate change, have intensified destructive wildfires.

Emergency operations are ongoing as authorities work to bring the situation under control. (ILKHA)