Wildfires kill at least 12 in northern Algeria as heatwave intensifies

At least 12 people have been killed and dozens injured as wildfires swept across large areas of northern Algeria, with authorities reporting dozens of blazes across several provinces along the country’s northern coastline.

Interior Minister Said Sayoud said on Wednesday night, August 26, that 54 people had suffered burn injuries, including at least six who were being treated in intensive care.

Five of the deaths were reported in Jijel province, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou.

Sayoud travelled to Bejaia with Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene to “assess” firefighting and evacuation efforts, government officials said. Many homes in Bejaia and Jijel have been evacuated, according to the civil protection agency and local media.

Footage broadcast by local outlet Jijel News showed residents sheltering in a post office as thick smoke surrounded the building.

The civil protection agency said firefighters were battling 69 fires across Algeria as of Wednesday evening.

The latest deaths come as North Africa faces a severe heatwave, with Algeria and Tunisia among the hardest-hit countries.

Bejaia was also devastated by wildfires three years ago, when 30 people were killed as fires tore through forests and farmland.

The latest fires follow a deadly month for Algeria. Authorities recorded at least six fire-related deaths in July, when firefighting crews battled more than 2,000 blazes nationwide.

Forest fires are common in Algeria during the summer, but climate change has intensified their frequency and severity. The World Meteorological Organisation said extreme heat has become increasingly common across North Africa, which experienced the fastest rate of warming among Africa’s six subregions between 1991 and 2025, at 0.43°C per decade.

Rising temperatures and water shortages have also contributed to an increase in camel deaths during summer heatwaves in Algeria, according to a recent study.

By Tamilla Hasanova