At least 12 dead as wildfires sweep through northern Algeria
Northern Africa has experienced severe heatwaves this summer, leading to hundreds of fires across the region.
Wildfires raging across northern Algeria have claimed at least 12 lives and left dozens injured.
According to civil protection authorities, numerous fires have erupted across several provinces along Algeria's northern coast. Interior Minister Said Sayoud reported Wednesday night that at least 54 individuals sustained burn injuries, with six of them in intensive care.
The fatalities coincide with a severe heatwave gripping North Africa, particularly impacting Tunisia and Algeria. Sayoud specified that five deaths occurred in Jijel province, four in Bejaia, and three in Tizi Ouzou.
Government officials confirmed that Sayoud, accompanied by Algerian Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene, traveled to Bejaia to evaluate local firefighting and evacuation operations. The civil protection agency and local media indicate that many residences in Bejaia and Jijel have been evacuated. Footage from local broadcaster Jijel News depicted residents seeking shelter in a post office amidst dense smoke.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, the civil protection agency stated that firefighters were combating 69 fires nationwide. The Bejaia region experienced destructive fires three years prior, resulting in 30 deaths across forests and farmlands.
Last month, authorities recorded at least six fire-related deaths, with crews battling over 2,000 blazes in Algeria during July alone. While Algeria typically sees forest fires during summer, climate change has intensified the recent wildfires in the country.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) noted that extreme heat is now common in North Africa, which has experienced the most rapid warming among Africa's six subregions, with a rise of 0.43C per decade between 1991 and 2025. A recent study also linked increasing heat and water scarcity to a rise in camel deaths during summer heatwaves in Algeria.