Several wildfires have broken out in Algeria’s northeastern Bejaia and Tizi-Ouzou provinces.
While the fires in Tizi Ouzou were extinguished, the operations are ongoing to control the fire in Bejaia, according to a statement from the Civil Protection on Saturday.
The Civil Protection in Bejaia said a fire had broken out in one of the forests in the Ish El-Baz area in Boulimat.
Teams from Bouira, Setif, and Bordj Bou Arreridj were dispatched to the area. No losses in life were recorded. Populated areas were also evacuated.
Moreover, a fire broke out in Mahwi Forest Tichy in the Ish El-Baz forest in Bejaia, and in the forest of the Igdassen village in Tizi Ouzou.
Civil Protection units and helicopters were dispatched to extinguish the fire.
In July, wildfires in the country killed at least 34 people and destroyed large swathes of forests and trees.
Northern and eastern Algeria witness forest fires annually, a phenomenon that worsens year after year due to the impact of climate changes.
The Meteorological Service warned in a special bulletin of a heat wave in the country’s northeastern regions, including Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou, on Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures expected to reach 43 degrees.
This year, Algeria recorded 97 blazes across 16 provinces, fanned by strong winds, said the interior ministry.
Source : AsharqAl-Awsat
