Efforts to extinguish 2 northern Morocco wildfires in final stage, says official
Authorities alert residents living near forests about wildfires as temperatures reach up to 46°C
Smoke and flames rise as the forest burns in Rabat, Morocco on July 15, 2022.
RABAT, Morocco/ISTANBUL
The operations to extinguish two wildfires in the north of Morocco are ongoing and in their final stages, an official said Saturday.
The official from the National Agency for Water and Forests, who preferred not to be named, told Anadolu that the fires broke out on Friday in two forests — one between Chefchaouen and Tetouan, and the other between Chefchaouen and Al Hoceima.
On Friday, the fires erupted amid soaring temperatures, as the General Directorate of Meteorology had warned of a heat wave reaching up to 46°C (114.8°F) in several regions of the kingdom, expected to last for several days.
The official said the fires have burned an estimated eight hectares (one hectare equals 10,000 square meters) so far, according to preliminary figures.
He added that Canadair amphibious firefighting aircraft are helping to put out the blaze.
In July, authorities had warned residents living near forests of the risk of wildfires in the coming days, urging maximum caution and vigilance.
On May 16, the government announced it had allocated about $17 million to strengthen wildfire-fighting efforts during the summer of 2025.
Abderrahim Houmy, the agency’s director general, said in May that the number of fires recorded in 2024 reached 382 — down 82% compared to 2023.
He added that 2024 wildfires burned about 874 hectares, with secondary grass and seasonal plants accounting for roughly 45% of the affected areas.
Forests cover about 12% of Morocco’s territory and experience fires of varying intensity each year depending on climatic conditions and human activity.
