16 Aug Firefighters battle wildfires in Algerian Kabylie region

According to reports from local media and an AFP journalist, Algerian firefighters were engaged in a fierce struggle against wildfires raging in the northeastern Kabylie region, prompting local authorities to order families to evacuate.

Residents were instructed to vacate homes in the path of the fire in Tizi Ouzou province, as reported by news site Ennahar Online, citing a forest official. The exact number of people affected was not immediately confirmed.

According to civil defence official Nassim Bernaoui, multiple wildfires have erupted in Tizi Ouzou since Friday, with many already contained or expected to be soon. “The situation is under control, but sporadic fires persist in remote areas,” he told AFP from Ait Frah village, south of Tizi Ouzou city.

The AFP journalist witnessed extensive damage caused by the fires, including olive groves, fig orchards, hen coops, beehives, and several homes engulfed in flames.

In neighbouring Bejaia province, authorities ordered the evacuation of approximately 20 families from Mezouara village, located near a forest where fires continued to burn on Sunday.

Videos circulating online depicted efforts to combat the forest fires, including the deployment of water bombers.

Wildfires are a recurring hazard during the summer months in northern Algeria, exacerbated by drought and heatwaves believed to be linked to climate change, according to scientists.

In July 2023, massive fires devastated Bejaia, resulting in more than 30 fatalities and extensive destruction of forests, agricultural lands, and hundreds of homes.