Wildfires are raging across Algeria during a blistering heatwave, claiming the lives of at least 25 people and triggering mass evacuations, as reported by the government on Monday (Jul. 24).
The interior ministry noted that over 20 people were left injured as the fires spread through residential areas.
In the Bouira province, a Zbarbar resident named Boualam Ferhat recalls how the fire started, stating, “It started to burn at around 2 p.m., just down from the military school. I called the fire brigade, and I told them that the fire had started nearby. They got there half an hour later, but in the meantime, the fire had really spread.”
Another Zbarbar resident, Ali Saibi, expressed his loss, saying, “The fire started at Grouma on the Tablat-side, and it spread through Beni Malah and in the end, it arrived at Bourebach, burning everything in its path. Some people lost everything.”
The north African country witnessed 97 blazes across 16 provinces, fueled by strong winds and temperatures reaching 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) in certain regions.
The most extensive and deadliest fires affected parts of Bejaia and Jijel in the Kabyle region east of Algiers, along with Bouira, southeast of the capital.
On Monday (Jul. 24), the President expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, both civilian and military.
A significant effort has been made to combat the fires, with the interior ministry stating that 7,500 firefighters and 350 firetrucks were mobilized, receiving support from aerial firefighting operations.
Efforts to extinguish fires were ongoing in six provinces, and citizens were urged to avoid affected areas and report new blazes on toll-free phone numbers.
Algeria faces regular wildfires during the summer, which have been exacerbated this year by a heatwave that has broken temperature records in several Mediterranean countries.
In August 2022, massive blazes killed 37 people in Algeria’s northeastern El Tarf province. The preceding year, 2021, witnessed the deadliest summer in decades, with 90 people killed in fires, particularly in the Kabylie region.
Neighboring Tunisia is also experiencing extreme temperatures, with temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Fires continue to rage in a Tunisian pine forest in Tabarka, near the border with Algeria, following another recent blaze in the area. The flames are further intensified by winds and soaring temperatures. At least 300 people from the nearby village of Melloula have been evacuated by sea and land, according to the national guard.
