Firefighters extinguish wildfire in northern Morocco amid heat wave

RABAT, Morocco / ISTANBUL

Moroccan firefighters extinguished a wildfire on Wednesday that burned 16 hectares (about 40 acres) in the northern province of Tetouan.

The fire began Monday in the Beni Layth Forest amid a heat wave, with the national meteorological agency warning at the time that temperatures could reach up to 44°C (111°F).

“The fire scorched an estimated 16 hectares, and amphibious Canadair aircraft conducted 53 water drops to help contain the flames,” Akaaboune Halim, the regional director of the National Agency for Water and Forests in Tetouan, told Anadolu.

On Friday, Moroccan authorities issued warnings to residents living near forests about an elevated wildfire risk in the coming days, urging vigilance and caution.

The Moroccan government announced on May 16 that it had allocated about $17 million to boost wildfire prevention and response efforts for summer 2025.

In the same month, the agency’s director general, Abderrahim Houmy, reported that 382 wildfires had been recorded in 2024, marking an 82% decrease from 2023.

Houmy added that this year’s fires destroyed around 874 hectares, with roughly 45% of the burned area consisting of seasonal grasses and undergrowth.

Forests cover about 12% of Morocco’s total land area and are prone to seasonal fires, which vary in intensity depending on weather conditions and human activity.