Three Canadair firefighting aircraft and Moroccan Armed Forces personnel were deployed Wednesday morning to reinforce efforts to extinguish a large wildfire that has swept through the Dardara forest in Chefchaouen province since Tuesday, local sources told Hespress.
The planes are targeting scattered hotspots still fueled by high winds and intense heat, particularly in the Sidi Yarsoul and Akhrat sectors, after ground crews made gradual progress overnight.
The firefighting force now includes civil protection units, auxiliary forces, Royal Gendarmerie, local authorities, and Water and Forests personnel, bolstered by army teams with logistical equipment.
Officials say the priority remains protecting nearby residents, while combined air and ground operations aim to speed full containment of the blaze, described as unprecedented in the area for the extent of forest and orchard destruction.
A forestry official said the fire was “stable” by midday but that interventions continued.
On Tuesday evening, prosecutors ordered the detention of a man suspected of starting the fire by burning waste from a shop near the forest.
May God almighty protect and safeguard us from the natural calamity.