After Algeria, Tunisia and Turkey, it is Morocco’s turn to face violent fires on its soil. On the night from Sunday to Monday, firefighters continued their efforts to fight the fires ravaging the forests in northern Morocco for the second day in a row. Its crews benefited in particular from the support of four water bombers.
But 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 forest had already been destroyed on Sunday night.
“No victims should be deplored, priority has been given to preventing the spread of fire to inhabited areas,” he added. The causes of these fires are not yet known, Rachid Anzi said, believing that the strong heat and winds could be the triggers.
Several regions of the kingdom have recorded temperatures of up to 49 degrees since Friday, according to the Department of Meteorology. Until Monday, high temperatures accompanied by winds were expected in several regions of Morocco. An “exceptional” heat wave 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 has been affected during the last two weeks by fires, especially in Greece, Turkey and Algeria. In the latter country, although the authorities announced Sunday night that most of the fires were under control, they will have left more than 90 dead or missing in a week.
However, in the eastern Mediterranean basin, new fires broke out near Jerusalem in forested areas and houses were evacuated in several villages, Israeli police said. A warm climate increases the likelihood of heat waves and droughts and, in turn, fires.
