Wildfires Ravage Northern Algeria, Claiming at Least 12 Lives Amid Severe Heatwave

At least 12 people have been killed and dozens more injured as wildfires tear across vast stretches of northern Algeria.

Civil protection authorities reported that dozens of blazes have erupted across several provinces along the country’s northern coastline.

Interior Minister Saïd Sayoud confirmed on Wednesday night that at least 54 people have suffered burn injuries, with six requiring intensive care.

The fatalities come as North Africa endures a severe heatwave, with Tunisia and Algeria bearing the brunt of the extreme temperatures.

Sayoud detailed the death toll by province: five victims in Jijel, four in Béjaïa, and three in Tizi Ouzou.

The minister has travelled to Béjaïa alongside Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Aït Messaoudene to evaluate ongoing firefighting and evacuation operations, according to government officials.

The civil protection agency and local media report that numerous homes in Béjaïa and Jijel have been evacuated.

Footage broadcast by local outlet Jijel News showed residents seeking shelter in a post office as dense plumes of smoke enveloped the area.

As of Wednesday evening, firefighters were engaged in battling 69 active blazes nationwide, the civil protection agency stated.

The Béjaïa region was previously devastated by forest fires three years ago that claimed 30 lives.

Just last month, authorities recorded at least six fire-related deaths, with crews combating more than 2,000 blazes across Algeria throughout July alone.

While forest fires are a regular summer occurrence in Algeria, climate change has intensified the severity and scale of recent wildfires.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) notes that extreme heat has become commonplace in North Africa, a region that has experienced the most rapid warming of Africa’s six subregions—averaging 0.43°C per decade between 1991 and 2023.

Rising temperatures and water scarcity have also contributed to a surge in camel deaths during summer heatwaves in Algeria, a recent study revealed.

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