Algerian emergency services are currently tackling 19 active wildfires across 10 provinces as the nation endures a severe heat wave. The General Directorate of Civil Protection reported that since Tuesday, a total of 139 fires have broken out, with responders successfully extinguishing 120 of them. Efforts remain focused on containing the remaining blazes in regions including Setif, Bejaia, and Saida. Military aircraft have been deployed to assist these operations by conducting water drops over the affected areas.
The ongoing wildfires have already resulted in casualties, with one person killed and another seriously injured in Setif on Tuesday. These fires are occurring against a backdrop of extreme weather, as Algeria’s national meteorological service warns that temperatures could reach 49C (120.2F) in desert regions and exceed 45C (113F) along the Mediterranean coast through Friday.
Simultaneously, the country has restored electricity to 16 provinces that suffered a widespread blackout on Tuesday night. Energy and Renewable Energy Minister Mourad Adjal confirmed that power has been fully restored. The blackout was attributed to a technical malfunction at an electrical facility in the Sidi Okba area of Biskra Province, triggered by a combination of extreme heat and high humidity causing cascading power fluctuations.
The grid was under significant stress, as Algeria recorded a new all-time high electricity demand of 21,870 megawatts on Monday. State-owned utility Sonelgaz noted that this figure surpassed the previous record of 21,120 megawatts set just one day earlier. As the country faces recurring droughts and rising temperatures, authorities have implemented strict measures to combat the increasing risk of forest fires, including potential prison sentences of up to 30 years for individuals found responsible for starting them.
