Overview
- The fires, which swept parts of northeastern Algeria on Wednesday, have killed 12 people with fatalities reported in Jijel, Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou provinces.
- Officials said 54 people were receiving treatment for burns and smoke inhalation, including six in critical condition at hospitals in Bejaia.
- Civil Protection teams recorded 154 separate fire outbreaks on the same day and firefighters have contained many blazes while dozens of hotspots remain active in Bejaia and across 12 municipalities in Jijel.
- Dozens of families were evacuated, several eastern national highways were closed by the gendarmerie, and emergency crews have deployed large resources to protect towns and fight the flames.
- Northern Algeria faces recurring summer wildfires and officials and reporters link this week’s intense fires to extreme heat, strong winds and drought that climate change is making more frequent and severe.