An urgent warning has been issued to Brits soaking up the sun in a popular holiday destination near a wildfire-hit tourist hotspot.
Raging fires have spread across southeastern Turkey over the last week, with Brits warned they “may have to leave” the region.
Photographs show the serious blazes as plumes of smoke rise over the forests.
In the Diyarbakir and Mardi provinces helicopters were today being used to drop water on wildfires,with two hotels and a number of houses evacuated.
Forest fires are being tackled by air and land intervention in Selcuk district of Izmir, Turkey. The aerial intervention, which was suspended after dark yesterday evening, resumed with the first light of the day today (Sunday June 30) with helicopters and aeroplanes.
In order to extinguish the fire, three night vision helicopters took part in the extinguishing efforts throughout the night. Hundreds of animals have died in the fire, which began on Thursday and raged into Friday.
And now the Foreign Office has stepped in, updating its advice on dealing with extreme temperatures in the region as the authorities acted to battle serious blazes.
The statement read: “Wildfires are dangerous and unpredictable. They can start easily and spread quickly, particularly during times of extreme heat. Causing a forest fire can be a criminal offence, even if unintentional.
“You should extinguish cigarette ends properly, not leave empty bottles behind, follow local rules and signs when lighting barbecues; often barbecues are only allowed in designated areas on a concrete base, and always douse barbecues before leaving.”
Brits could risk a huge fine or prison sentence if they light a fire of any kind or discard cigarettes in risk areas such as woodland, it added.
Turkey has witnessed 74 wildfires this year, destroying around 31,900 acres of land, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
Temperatures in much of Turkey have reached over 40C (104F) in the past week, leaving forest and scrubland tinder-dry. An investigation into the cause of the latest blaze is underway.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya blamed it on “stubble burning”, the practice of intentionally setting fire to crop residue.