Paramilitary police officers and people watch as a wildfire fanned by strong winds rage near the Mediterranean coastal town of Manavgat, Antalya, Turkey, on July 28.Arif Kaplan/The Associated Press
Authorities evacuated homes in southern Turkey on Wednesday as a wildfire fanned by strong winds raged through a forest near the Mediterranean coastal town of Manavgat.
Security forces helped move residents of four neighborhoods out of the fire’s path as firefighters worked to control the blaze, Manavgat district governor Mustafa Yigit told the state-run Anadolu Agency.
He denied earlier media reports that patients at a hospital in Manavgat were being transferred to another location, but said hospitals in the area were placed on alert.
Tourist resorts in the region weren’t affected, Mr. Yigit added. The town is in Turkey’s Antalya province, which is known for its beach resorts.
The government’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD, said around 30 people were “affected” by the fire, but didn’t elaborate.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire. Wildfires are common in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions during the arid summer months, although some forest fires have been blamed on arson.
Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.