A wildfire broke out near the Turkish coast resort of Marmaris on Tuesday, bringing fears of a repeat of last year's fires that destroyed tens of thousands of hectares and killed eight people.
State-owned Anadolu news agency said the fires had spread quickly in windy conditions and were continuing to grow at a rapid pace. The cause for the fire is unknown, it said.
Aerial footage from the Mugla Regional Forestry Management showed smoke billowing as the fires spread through the woodlands in the sparsely populated area.
The Mugla Municipality said firefighters and forestry units were working to contain the fire.
The mayor of Marmaris requested helicopters with night vision to fight the fire as the darkened skies made it challenging for firefighters.
Last summer's blazes were the most intense in Turkey on record, an EU atmosphere monitor said last year. It said the Mediterranean had become a wildfire hotspot.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government was criticised as being unprepared to fight the fires last year. They responded by saying the fires were the worst in Turkey's history.
The government also said the Turkish Aeronautical Association did not maintain its fleet of firefighting planes.
Human-induced climate change is making heatwaves more likely and more severe, scientists say, and humans are a significant factor in causing wildfires.
Electricity lines, dried-up cigarette butts and other pieces of rubbish can be enough to set off devastating flames.
Reuters contributed to this report
