Algerians Evacuate as Wildfires Ravage Northeast Region

Families in Tizi Ouzou province in Algeria were forced to leave the area due to the widespread wildfires. Reports say Firefighters were working to extinguish the fires on Sunday.

According to a forest official cited by news site Ennahar Online, residents in Tizi Ouzou province were directed to vacate their homes in the path of the fire, but the exact number of people affected was not immediately clear.

Numerous wildfires have erupted in Tizi Ouzou since Friday, but according to civil defence official Nassim Bernaoui, the majority of them have either been quelled or are expected to be soon.

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“The situation is under control, but outbreaks of fire continue in hard-to-reach areas,” he told AFP in the village of Ait Frah, south of Tizi Ouzou city.

Algerians Evacuate as Wildfires Ravage Northeast Region

In Bejaia province, close to Tizi Ouzou, approximately 20 families from Mezouara villages evacuated the region, which is situated near a forest affected by the wildfires.

Wildfires occur frequently during the summer months in northern Algeria, and scientists believe they are worsened by drought and heatwaves associated with climate change.

In July 2023, over 30 individuals lost their lives in extensive fires that devastated Bejaia, resulting in the destruction of thousands of acres of forests and agricultural lands, as well as hundreds of homes.

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  • Abdulateef Ahmed

    Abdulateef Ahmed, Digital News Editor and; Research Lead, is a self-driven researcher with exceptional editorial skills. He's a literary bon vivant keenly interested in green energy, food systems, mining, macroeconomics, big data, African political economy, and aviation..

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