A massive fire has broken out near the NATO base at Şirinyer in the Buca district of western Turkey's İzmir province, according to witnesses and officials. Investigators are looking into sabotage as a possible cause, BNO News reported.
The fire erupted on late Sunday evening and quickly spread, burning more than 40 hectares of forest. Buca Mayor Levent Piristina said the fire was "under control" but teams of firefighters continued to battle the flames.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in the fire, which is being battled by a large number of firefighters. Police say they are evaluating whether sabotage caused the fire to target the nearby NATO base.