Italy sends firefighting aircraft to battle Tunisia wildfires

An Italian firefighting aircraft joined efforts Friday to contain two wildfires in Tunisia’s western Kef province, according to the Italian Embassy in Tunis.

The embassy said on US social media platform X that Italy dispatched a Canadair aircraft to support firefighting operations.

Footage aired by Tunisia’s national radio showed the aircraft collecting water from the Mellegue Dam before making repeated drops over burning mountain areas.

Khalil Mechri, head of operations and monitoring at Tunisia’s Civil Protection Directorate, said crews continued efforts Friday evening to contain the two fires.

Mechri told Tunisia’s state news agency TAP that one fire broke out in Jebel Touila and the other in Jebel Takrouna several days ago.

The fires burned hundreds of hectares of forest and vegetation, he said.

Civil defense crews, supported by about 22 fire engines, remained involved in efforts to control the blazes, Mechri said.

He added that several ministries and local authorities had deployed equipment, while the Defense Ministry provided aerial support with military aircraft.

Tunisian authorities said Thursday that wildfires had destroyed about 4,400 hectares (10,873 acres) since the beginning of May, nearly 63% more than during the same period last year.

Mohamed Noufel Ben Haha, director general of forests at the Agriculture Ministry, told TAP that fires recorded between May 1 and July 23 had burned about 4,400 hectares (10873 acres), compared with 2,705 hectares during the corresponding period in 2025.

Authorities recorded 75 forest fires and 108 shrubland fires during the period, affecting Zaghouan, Bizerte, Beja, Jendouba, Kef and Siliana provinces, said Ben Haha.

According to the official, the General Directorate of Forests carried out 917 firefighting interventions covering forests, farmland and landfill sites, up from 620 during the same period last year.

The fires came as Tunisia faced a heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 45C (113F) in several areas.