Overview
- The fires that began on Aug. 26 have killed 12 people and left about 54 injured, including six in critical condition, officials said.
- Algeria’s civil protection reported dozens of active fires in northern provinces with one operational update listing 67 ongoing outbreaks across 16 wilayas.
- Extreme heat, strong winds and heavy smoke repeatedly forced authorities to limit use of aircraft and slowed aerial suppression efforts, the interior minister said.
- Officials ordered precautionary evacuations, closed major roads near Bejaia, Jijel and Setif, declared three days of national mourning, and opened detailed investigations into the causes.
- The scale of this season’s blazes builds on a pattern of hotter, drier summers in northern Algeria and raises questions about emergency capacity and forest management that will affect local communities and planning going forward.