The causes of these fires are not yet known, but the high heat and winds may have been the triggers.
Firefighters continued their efforts on the night of August 15 to 16 to fight fires that are devastating forests in northern Morocco for the second consecutive day, AFP journalists noted.
No victim to deplore for the moment
The changing winds “do not help to control the fire“, explained the regional director of the Department of water and forests in Chefchaouen, Rachid El-Anzi. According to him, 200 hectares of forests had already been destroyed by the late evening of August 15. “No casualties are to be deplored, priority having been given to preventing the spread of fire to inhabited areas,” he added. The firefighting teams notably benefited from the support of four water bombers.
The causes of these fires are not yet known, said Anzi, believing that the high heat and winds could be triggers. According to the Department of Meteorology, several regions of the kingdom have recorded temperatures of up to 49 degrees since August 13. High temperatures accompanied by winds were expected until Monday in several regions of Morocco. An ” exceptional ” heatwave between July 9 and 11 had already “favored the outbreak of 20 fires” in the kingdom, burning 1,200 hectares of forests, according to the Department of Water and Forests.
The Mediterranean basin on fire
The Mediterranean basin has been affected in the past two weeks by fires, especially in Greece, Turkey, and Algeria. In the latter country, more than 90 people have died or gone missing since last Monday in the fires. Sunday evening, an official of the general direction of civil protection (GDCP) affirmed that most of the fires had finally been “under control” and did not represent “any more danger for the inhabitants”. In the eastern Mediterranean, however, new fires have broken out near Jerusalem, in wooded areas, and houses in several villages have been evacuated, Israeli police said. Global warming increases the likelihood of heat waves. and droughts and by extension fires.
