In brief
A sudden surge of wildfires is devastating northern Algeria, claiming at least 12 lives and leaving dozens injured in the latest heatwave. Interior Minister Said Sayoud confirmed 54 burn injuries and highlighted the severity of the blaze across multiple provinces, including Jijel, Bejaia, and Tizi Ouzou. Fires have forced large evacuations, with communities sheltering in post offices and schools. The government says the fires are intensified by climate change, with rising temperatures and water shortages escalating the danger. Emergency crews are battling dozens of blazes while authorities investigate the root causes of the catastrophic spread.
Civil protection officials report at least 12 fatalities and 54 burn injuries across northern Algeria as a rolling wave of wildfires consumes forests, farmland, and communities.
Interior Minister Said Sayoud confirmed that five people died in Jijel province, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou. He and Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene travelled to Bejaia to assess firefighting resources and evacuation protocols.
Residents in Bejaia and Jijel have been forced to leave homes, with many seeking refuge in post offices as smoke billows over towns, footage from local broadcaster Jijel News shows.
Civils agency reports that 69 ignition points were fighting across the country at the height of the crisis, while the region’s forests face repeated emergencies—first causing 30 deaths in 2023, and again, approximately 12 deaths in the current outbreak.
Algeria’s frequent summer wildfires are intensifying due to climate change; the World Meteorological Organization notes that extreme heat is becoming commonplace in North Africa, a subregion with the fastest warming rate in Africa.
With rising temperatures and water shortages, the country also mourns a recent study reporting numerous camel deaths during summer heatwaves.
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