Algeria declares mourning as wildfires kill 12 amid extreme heat

Algeria declared three days of national mourning on Thursday, August 27, after wildfires in the country’s north-east killed at least 12 people and injured dozens, as extreme heat, strong winds and smoke complicated firefighting efforts.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune also cancelled cultural events and sporting competitions nationwide.

“With a heavy heart and a soul in mourning at the tragedy of the loss of our fellow citizens,” Tebboune said in a statement announcing the mourning period.

Interior Minister Said Sayoud said on Wednesday that five people had died in Jijel province, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou. Another 54 people were being treated in hospital for burns, including six in serious condition.

Algeria’s civil protection service said Thursday morning that 46 fires remained active out of 193 recorded across the country during the previous 24 hours.

Three major roads linking regions in eastern Algeria were closed because of forest fires near Bejaia, Jijel and Setif, the gendarmerie said.

Weather conditions further hampered the response.

“Adverse weather conditions, rising temperatures, strong and intense winds, and high concentrations of smoke prevented the continued deployment of aircraft in the firefighting operations,” Sayoud said on Thursday.

Extreme temperatures have added to the risks. Three Algerian cities ranked among the world’s hottest, with Bouchegouf reaching 49.8C, according to the latest data from international weather portal Eldorado Weather.

Forest fires regularly occur in northern Algeria during the summer, but climate change is intensifying their impact through more frequent droughts and extreme heat.

More than 30 people were killed in July 2023 when fires swept through thousands of hectares of forest and farmland and destroyed hundreds of homes around Bejaia.

Authorities recorded nearly 2,000 fires nationwide in July this year.

Neighbouring Morocco is also experiencing an intense heatwave, with temperatures reaching 49C.

By Tamilla Hasanova