A wildfire continues to ravage forested areas in the commune of Derdara, in Morocco’s Chefchaouen province, with efforts to contain the blaze ongoing since Saturday. Authorities say at least 500 hectares of forest have been destroyed so far.
Fouad El Assali, head of the National Center for Climate Risk Management at the National Agency for Water and Forests, confirmed the extent of the damage, adding that farmland adjacent to the forest, owned by local residents and farmers, has also been affected.
“The fire is still active, and efforts to extinguish it are ongoing,” El Assali said in an audio statement received by Hespress AR. He noted that both ground and aerial firefighting units are involved in the response.
Roughly 450 personnel from various firefighting and emergency services are working to combat the flames. They are supported by four Canadair water-dropping planes and four Turbo Thrush aircraft.
El Assali reported “significant progress” in containing the fire, with three out of four major hotspots now under control. Crews are focusing on extinguishing the remaining large outbreak, as well as managing smaller flare-ups with ground teams.
Meanwhile, authorities have fully contained a separate wildfire in the Benguerich forest near the city of Tetouan. That blaze burned through 75 hectares of woodland.
The northern region of Morocco has seen a series of wildfires in recent days, coinciding with the annual “Smaïm” period, known for extreme heat, and intensified by strong “Chergui” winds, which have exacerbated fire risks across the region.
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