At least 12 people have died and dozens more are injured after wildfires tore across northern Algeria, where a severe heatwave is pushing temperatures higher along the coast.
Civil protection officials said fires broke out in multiple provinces Wednesday, with the worst tolls in Jijel, Bejaia, and Tizi Ouzou. Interior Minister Said Sayoud reported 5 deaths in Jijel, 4 in Bejaia, and 3 in Tizi Ouzou.
At least 54 people were treated for burns, including six in intensive care, Sayoud said Wednesday night. He traveled to Bejaia with Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene to review firefighting and evacuation operations.
Authorities said 69 fires were active nationwide Wednesday evening. Entire neighborhoods in Bejaia and Jijel have been evacuated. Video from local broadcaster Jijel News showed residents sheltering inside a post office as thick smoke filled the streets.
The region has seen this before. Three years ago, fires in Bejaia killed 30 people. Last month, officials recorded six more fire-related deaths, and crews fought more than 2,000 blazes across Algeria in July alone.
Experts link the worsening seasons to climate change. The World Meteorological Organization said North Africa has warmed faster than any other African subregion since 1991, at 0.43C per decade, making extreme heat more common. Recent research also found rising heat and water shortages have increased camel deaths during Algerian summers.
Firefighters were still working to bring the latest blazes under control in the Bouira mountains and along the coastline Wednesday night.
