https://morningwire.eu/fr/incendies-de-foret-en-algerie-font-12-morts-provoquent-des-evacuations/
Algerian wildfires kill 12, force evacuations
A series of blazes across Bejaia, Jijel and Tizi Ouzou provinces left 12 dead and dozens hurt, prompting a large emergency response.
Forest fires ripped through the north‑east of Algeria on Wednesday, leaving 12 people dead and more than 50 injured, officials said. The death toll includes five victims in Jijel province, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou, according to the interior minister.
We have travelled to Bejaia to assess the progress of firefighting operations on the ground and the condition of the injured,
Said Sayoud told national television that a further 54 patients, six in serious condition, were receiving treatment for burns at a hospital in Bejaia. Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene accompanied him on the visit.
Emergency response on the ground
Authorities deployed dozens of firefighting units and aircraft, while the civil protection agency reported battling 69 separate blazes by the evening. Evacuations were ordered for thousands of residents in Bejaia and Jijel, with many seeking shelter in public buildings such as a post office. The gendarmerie closed three major east‑west highways linking Bejaia, Jijel and Setif to prevent traffic accidents amid thick smoke.
Why the fires matter
Wildfires are a regular summer hazard in northern Algeria, but climate change is intensifying their frequency and severity. Last July, more than 30 people died in a similar blaze that swept through the same region, and nationwide fire counts approached 2,000. The current heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 40 °C, has dried vegetation and created strong winds that fan the flames.
Experts note that the pattern mirrors a broader European trend, where hotter, drier summers are turning once‑manageable forest fires into large‑scale disasters. Read more on the climate link.
What comes next
Officials say the focus now is on containing the remaining hotspots and providing medical care to the injured. Long‑term, the government is expected to review forest‑management practices and invest in early‑warning systems to mitigate future outbreaks. With the heatwave set to linger, residents in the affected provinces remain on high alert.
