Moroccan authorities have continued in their efforts to combat a forest fire that erupted in the Shershera Forest in the eastern part of the country, with the blaze raging for three consecutive days.
The fire ignited near the city of Taza on Wednesday, coinciding with a severe heatwave affecting the nation.
Murad Al-Saafadi, the regional director of the Moroccan Water and Forestry Agency in Taza, reported that as of 12:00 GMT on Friday, the fire had consumed 40 hectares (100,000 square metres) of the Shershera Forest.
“Fortunately, there have been no casualties reported so far, as residents from nearby areas were promptly evacuated,” Al-Saafadi stated.
“All efforts are being made to extinguish the fire,”Al-Saafadi added, expressing hope that firefighting operations would be completed swiftly.
The Moroccan Meteorological Directorate issued a warning for extreme heat, with temperatures expected to reach up to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) in several regions across the kingdom. This intense weather is projected to persist for several days.
In May, the Moroccan Water and Forestry Agency had already warned of an increased risk of forest fires during the summer due to the country’s sixth consecutive year of drought and ongoing high temperatures nationwide.