ALGIERS, Algeria — Algeria's General Directorate of Civil Protection reported that emergency response teams recorded 119 separate fires tearing through several provinces since early Thursday. The rapidly spreading blazes have severely impacted expansive forest reserves, vital agricultural land, and local palm groves, according to an official agency update released on Friday.
Firefighting crews have successfully extinguished 114 of the documented blazes. Emergency personnel have kept four other sites under close surveillance to prevent potential flare-ups driven by shifting winds.
A single major forest fire remains actively out of control at Guigba, located within the Kalaa Bousbaa commune of the northeastern Guelma province. Specialized intervention teams are continuing aggressive containment efforts on the ground to bring the inferno under control. Concurrently, environmental teams are monitoring a separate fire that breached agricultural perimeters and damaged fruit orchards in the northern province of Tlemcen.
The destructive wave of fires coincided with a punishing summer heatwave gripping several northern provinces. Meteorological models project peak daytime temperatures to climb as high as 46°C through Sunday.
In response to the extreme climate conditions, public health authorities have strongly urged regional residents to take proactive safety measures. Officials specifically advised vulnerable demographics, including the elderly, young children, and individuals living with chronic medical conditions, to strictly limit their direct sun exposure and remain indoors during peak afternoon heat hours.
