ALGERIA / RankWire.AI / – Wildfires sweeping through northeastern Algeria have resulted in at least 12 fatalities and left 54 injured, officials announced Wednesday night. Among the casualties, five deaths occurred in Jijel, four in Bejaia, and three in Tizi Ouzou, Interior Minister Said Sayoud confirmed. Six of the injured remain in critical condition, undergoing intensive treatment for burns. The fires ignited across multiple provinces amid a brutal heatwave impacting Algeria and neighboring North African nations.
Firefighters encountered dozens of active blazes as authorities evacuated families from zones threatened by forests and residential areas. By 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday, officials reported at least 159 vegetation fires across various provinces. While 90 fires had been extinguished, 69 continued to burn at that hour. Bejaia reported 18 active fires, with Skikda at 13, Tizi Ouzou at 12, and Jijel with seven ongoing flames.
To combat the crisis, Algeria’s Civil Protection deployed ground teams, mobile units, helicopters, and firefighting aircraft to the most affected locations. Response efforts included Air Tractor AT-802 planes and a BE-200 water bomber. Emergency plans were activated in several areas where smoke hindered visibility and fires threatened homes, prompting evacuations in multiple communities to safeguard residents, property, and transport routes.
Response efforts intensify in northeastern regions
Bejaia remains a focal point of the emergency, with fires impacting numerous towns within this coastal, mountainous province. Sayoud traveled there accompanied by Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene to oversee firefighting activities and hospital operations. The delegation visited Souk El Tenine’s hospital, where teams treated burn victims and those suffering from smoke inhalation. Officials checked on patient conditions as emergency services continued their work across nearby communities.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune authorized the ministerial visit to Bejaia, coordinating government efforts for firefighting and medical aid. The Interior Ministry stated that emergency services were collaborating with local authorities and agencies to contain the fires, focusing resources on areas where residents faced imminent danger or where strong winds complicated suppression efforts. On Wednesday, aerial and ground units remained active across multiple affected provinces.
Heatwave coincides with widespread wildfire crisis
The surge in wildfires coincides with an intense heatwave gripping Algeria and adjacent parts of North Africa. Summer wildfires are a common occurrence in the country’s Mediterranean forested regions, especially in mountainous and wooded zones across northern Algeria. Civil Protection has repeatedly mobilized national and local resources during this peak fire season this summer.
This recent outbreak adds to a challenging summer marked by forest, farmland, and property damage across several parts of Algeria. Authorities have yet to provide a final estimate of land or property losses from this outbreak. Firefighting teams continue efforts to suppress flames and evacuate residents as officials monitor active hotspots across northeastern provinces. As of early Thursday, the confirmed toll remained at 12 dead and 54 injured in the latest official figures.