Volunteer Firefighter Dies Battling Antalya Wildfire; 8 Injured

A volunteer firefighter has died in Turkey after assisting emergency crews battling a major wildfire in the Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya, an official confirmed on Wednesday.

The fire, which broke out on Monday in Antalya's Aksu district, was fanned by strong winds and rapidly spread into the neighboring Kepez district, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes. The cause of the blaze remains unknown.

Hasan Kahya, a resident of Aksu who was helping firefighters, suffered a heart attack after being affected by smoke and later died in hospital, according to the district's mayor, Isa Yildirim.

Two people were hospitalized with leg burns on Tuesday, while six others received treatment for smoke inhalation. More than 100 dogs were evacuated from an animal shelter in Aksu.

Turkey's forestry directorate said efforts to control the fire were ongoing Wednesday, noting that its intensity had been reduced. At least three firefighting planes, nine helicopters, 169 fire trucks, and over 1,000 firefighters were deployed to the scene.

Separately, firefighters were also battling a wildfire in the Kozan district of the southern Adana province, where hundreds of residents have been evacuated.