After several summers marked by deadly fires, Algiers took precautions by ordering water bombers from Russia. But this order has still not been honored, and the authorities have had to find other solutions as the hot season approaches.
After several consecutive summers marked by forest fires, with often deadly consequences, Algeria believes it is ready for 2024, thanks to the acquisition by the air carrier Tassili Airlines of five Chilean forest fire aircraft already received. A sixth will be done before the end of the year.
These are aircraft with a water reserve limited to 3,000 liters, far from the capacities of the four Beriev Be-200 models from the Russian manufacturer Aircraft Company whose order was officially announced during the summer of 2021 and which were due to land on Algerian soil in December 2022, but three of which have still not been delivered.
The fourth, which is currently at the Boufarik military airport, 35 km from Algiers, was received thanks to mediation. “We were able to acquire the engine manufactured in Ukraine and transfer it to Russia for assembly,” said the Minister of the Interior and Local Government in May 2023, confirming that the war in Ukraine was at the origin of the delivery. delayed.
Faced with this unforeseen event, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune decided, during the Council of Ministers on April 30, 2023, to urgently resort to rental contracts so as not to repeat the tragic failure of the summer of 2021, when the country was found helpless in the face of devastating fires which destroyed thousands of hectares of forests in 26 wilayas, leading to the death of at least 90 people, including 33 soldiers. Here again, Algiers first turned to the Russians: a Beriev BE-200 landed on June 15, 2023, in Algiers and was to remain in the country for a period of three months. Algeria has also leased six other Thrust Aircraft aircraft from a European company.
All this equipment mobilized was not enough, however, to avoid the catastrophe. During the summer of 2023, Algeria recorded 140 fire outbreaks on its territory, causing 37 deaths and 325 injuries. The most violent affected the North-East, notably a large part of Kabylia. Due to strong winds, the fires led to the evacuation of 1,500 people and burned hectares of forests and crops.
Summer promises to be very hot and risky
When the order for new Canadairs was launched in 2021, the authorities explained that the choice of the Russian model was motivated by the capacity of these devices to hold up to 12,000 liters and to be powered by water from sea. They also offer the advantage of being versatile: in addition to firefighting, they can carry out maritime patrols and be used for freight. The Algerian authorities were also looking for water bombers adapted to the country’s topography, characterized by areas of difficult access for ordinary planes.
Due to the failure to deliver these Russian planes on time – a delay whose cause was not explained at the time – Algiers called for general mobilization in January 2024. It was then that the company Tassili Airlines, a subsidiary of oil group Sonatrach, was responsible for the purchase of six Canadians. However it was only able to acquire small capacity devices. This forced the Algerian authorities to rent seven other planes to strengthen the system to fight forest fires next summer.
In addition to the resources of civil protection and the national gendarmerie, the Ministry of the Interior has, for its part, established a road map that includes the development of water basins and landing and take-off runways for fire extinguishing helicopters, as well as preventive measures in accordance with international standards. These aim to improve preliminary intervention and raise awareness among the population, it is specified. This year again, the summer promises to be very hot, hence the increasing risk of witnessing the burning of entire areas, if the resources mobilized do not prove sufficient.
