Fourteen departments in northern Algeria have been the scene of wildfires since Wednesday, which have caused at least 38 deaths, more than 200 injuries and several other damages.
For several days, devastating fires have broken out in several places in northern Algeria. “Thirty-nine fires in 14 wilayas (prefectures) are underway,” the civil protection said on Thursday, adding that the prefecture of El Tarf has the highest number of fires, with 16 fires, many of which are still ongoing.
At least 38 dead and more than 200 injured, including 10 firefighters, according to civil protection and social media. As a result, wildfires have claimed victims all over the country. There are 30 victims, including 11 children and 6 women in El Tarf in the far east, near the border with Tunisia. Five others were recorded in Souk Ahras, two in Sétif and one in Guelma.
Several families displaced
According to local media, more than 350 families have fled their homes in Souk Ahras, a city of about 500,000 inhabitants. Most of the victims of these fires were trapped while visiting a wildlife park. Local media also report that the gendarmerie has closed several roads in order to limit the number of victims.
Wildfires in Algeria
Every year, the country faces this fire phenomenon, which is becoming increasingly worse due to climate change. According to the Egyptian Minister of the Interior, “Since the beginning of the summer, we have recorded 106 wildfires throughout the country. During the last week, several fires were recorded in some wilayas in the north of the country. It should be noted that the temperatures of the last few days were very high, exceeding 47 degrees in some regions that also experienced strong winds,” he said, adding that so far “800 hectares of forest and 1800 hectares of brush have gone up in smoke.
In the summer of 2021, at least 90 people were killed in wildfires that ravaged the North, where more than 100,000 hectares of coppice went up in smoke, making it the deadliest summer on record. It should also be noted that the fire brigade managed to bring most of the fires under control on Thursday evening.
