As firefighters continue to tackle the fierce blazes raging near the popular tourist city of İzmir in Western Turkey, some British holidaymakers trying to get home to the UK are facing severe delays. At Adnan Menderes Airport, flights were suspended last night.

The major tourist airport was forced to ground both takeoffs and landings on Sunday evening, June 29 after a major fire broke out in the area. Photos taken at the scene show huge flames rising, with vast plumes of smoke filling the sky. On Monday morning, Turkish firefighters are facing an onslaught on all sides as they desperately try to put out flames which are ripping through several towns. One forest fire has forced at least 10 settlements to be evacuated.

Investigators believe the fires were man-made, with one suspect being arrested for arson with gasoline in connection with a fire in the Buca area of İzmir. A further 17 suspects have been arrested in connection with the fires in different provinces across the affected area. 

On Sunday, 77 separate fires raged through the country, 53 of them in forests. The flames, some of which have been burning for 12 hours, have already destroyed several properties. Due to strong winds, authorities have so far been unable to use firefighting aircraft to control the flames. 

Meanwhile, at Adnan Menderes Airport, which serves the popular British holiday hotspot of İzmir, passengers due to travel to and from the airport have been facing severe disruption because of the wildfires. While flights now appear to be slowly recovering, many have seen their flights delayed by several hours while others had their flights cancelled altogether. 

Passengers who were due to travel to Stansted Airport with SunExpress Airlines last night are facing a huge delay of 21 hours today. Their flight was set to depart at 10.30pm on Sunday evening, but the new departure time is now estimated to be 7.30pm on Monday, according to The Mirror.

Meanwhile, passengers who were due to travel to Amsterdam at 4.05pm local time on yesterday will now depart around midday on Monday – a delay of nearly 20 hours. A flight to Rotterdam is also facing a huge delay of over 19 hours, rescheduled for 12pm today.

Late last night, an airport spokesperson said: “Due to the forest fire in İzmir’s Gaziemir district and adverse weather conditions, including strong winds, İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport was temporarily closed to air traffic as of 16:00 local time. Some incoming flights were diverted to alternate airports during the closure.

“Following the NOTAM [notice to airmen], the runway has reopened and the first flight, PC 1864 to Ercan, has successfully departed at 21:50 local time. Flight operations are gradually returning to normal.”

The UK Foreign Office has updated its advice for Brits travelling to Turkey in light of the situation. It warns that tourists could be asked to leave their accommodation due to the wildfires. The FCDO said:”Wildfires happen frequently in Turkey during summer.

“If there is a wildfire in your area, local authorities may tell you to leave your accommodation. Follow the directions of local authorities. If you see a wildfire, call emergency services on 112.”