The previous report reported the loss of 15 lives and 26 injuries in the recent fires. During an evacuation in Beni Ksila, in the Bejaia prefecture (east), a group of soldiers found themselves surrounded by the voracious flames, as confirmed by the Defense Ministry. In a period from Sunday to Monday, Algeria faced a total of 97 fires that hit 16 prefectures, with BugÃa, Al Buira, and Jijel being the most affected, according to data provided by the Ministry of the Interior.
With the fire fanned by strong winds, approximately 1,500 people had to be evacuated from the affected areas, the same source noted. The BujÃa attorney general has ordered a preliminary investigation to clarify the causes behind these fires and identify possible perpetrators, according to a statement.
The country is experiencing a heat wave, with temperatures reaching 48ºC last Monday. In response to the emergency, around 8,000 civil protection officers and 525 trucks have been deployed on the ground, backed by significant air support. The Ministry of the Interior has called on citizens to avoid the areas affected by the fires and use the emergency numbers for any complaints.
Northern and eastern Algeria are often affected by major fires during the summer, a phenomenon that has worsened each year due to climate change, causing droughts and heat waves. In fact, in August 2022, 37 people lost their lives in the El Taref region, in the northeast of the country, due to fires. The deadliest summer in decades was 2021, with a total of more than 90 fatalities.