Fires engulf Algeria's forests: 12 dead, thousands evacuated

Algerian Interior Minister Saïd Saeed announced the death of 12 people in forest fires that swept through several provinces. Saeed described the casualty toll as “heavy,” noting that five victims were in Jijel, four in Bejaia, and three in Tizi Ouzou. According to civil protection authorities, 159 vegetation fires broke out; 90 were extinguished, while 69 remained active. The fires affected the provinces of Bejaia, Skikda, Tizi Ouzou, Jijel, El Tarf, Mila, Annaba, Souk Ahras, Constantine, Tebessa, Tiaret, Boumerdes, and Setif. Numerous families were evacuated in Bejaia and Jijel. Footage broadcast by local media showed residents in a state of panic taking shelter inside a post office in Bejaia amid thick smoke as the fires approached. Local sources reported that three national highways connecting areas in the eastern part of the country were closed due to the forest fires. Northern Algeria experiences forest fires every summer, a phenomenon exacerbated by repeated droughts and extreme heat driven by climate change. In recent years, massive fires have killed dozens of people, destroyed thousands of hectares of forests and agricultural land, and damaged numerous homes. Authorities also indicated that some fires were deliberately set and announced the arrest of suspects.