Morocco’s National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) has placed 20 provinces under a red alert for an extreme risk of wildfires, warning that soaring temperatures and prolonged drought have created highly favorable conditions for forest fires.
The alert comes as much of the country experiences an intense heatwave, with authorities urging the public to exercise heightened caution in and around forested areas.
Climate expert Ali Charoud said a red alert represents the highest level of warning and signals an imminent risk of severe wildfires.
“The current alert is linked to exceptional weather conditions marked by dangerously high temperatures,” Charoud told Hespress AR.
He said the immediate threat is compounded by years of persistent drought and historically low rainfall, which have left Morocco’s forests unusually dry and highly susceptible to ignition.
According to Charoud, the warning is intended to reduce both naturally occurring fires fueled by extreme heat and fires caused by human negligence.
Official figures show Morocco recorded 418 forest fires in 2025, affecting approximately 1,728 hectares of land.
Although significant, that represents a 65% decrease compared with the country’s average over the previous decade, suggesting that early warning systems and rapid intervention have helped limit damage.
However, the data also underscore the heightened wildfire risk during the peak summer months.
Nearly half of all forest fires recorded in 2025 occurred during July and August, while those two months accounted for 82% of the total area burned.
Authorities said 94% of last year’s fires were brought under control during their initial stages, limiting the burned area to fewer than 5 hectares in each case.
Charoud stressed that the red alert does not prohibit people from visiting forests for recreation, including camping or picnics, but it does require increased vigilance.
He urged the public to avoid lighting fires in or near forested areas and called for broader public awareness campaigns through national media to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires during the summer season.
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