Authorities set out to contain the Oued Râs forest fire outbreak in Tetouan

With a succession of heat waves hitting the Kingdom, reminiscent of Mediterranean climates, the most recent, recorded by the Direction of Meteorology, saw temperatures hovering between 38 and 49 degrees over the past few days, from Monday to Tuesday, in various regions of Morocco.

These higher temperatures are increasing the risk of forest fires, a phenomenon already observed recently in parts of the provinces of Tétouan and Taounate.

The latest monitoring and forecasting data from the Agence Nationale des Eaux et Forêts (ANEF – National Water and Forestry Agency) have highlighted a danger level ranging from “high” to “extreme” for forest fires in several Moroccan provinces, for Tuesday and Wednesday (August 8 and 9).

These observations, revealed on a fire risk map consulted by Hespress, are based on an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of the forest cover, its vulnerability to fire-starting and combustion, and the climatic and topographical factors of the different regions.

This assessment has led the Agency to identify an “extreme” level of danger (shown in red) in the provinces of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceïma, Chefchaouen, Taza, Safi, Ifrane, Khénifra, Oujda-Angad and Taroudant.

According to the Agency’s daily bulletin consulted by Hespress, the provinces of Fès-Meknès, Tétouan, Al Hoceïma, Taounate, Larache, Beni Mellal, Azilal, Tiznit, El Houz and Agadir-Ida-Ou Tanane are exposed to a “high” level of danger (shown in orange), while the provinces of Ouazzane, Berkane and Essaouira present a “moderate” level of danger (shown in yellow).

On the ground, Saïd Benjira, Regional Director of Water and Forests and Desertification Control (DREFLCD) for the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, confirmed that the intervention teams, comprising 300 members of the Civil Protection, Water and Forests, Auxiliary Forces, the Royal Armed Forces and the Royal Gendarmerie, in collaboration with local and provincial authorities, are actively engaged in controlling a devastating fire in the Oued Râs forest, near the commune of Aïn Lahcen in the province of Tétouan.

Benjira reported that the first outbreak of the fire broke out in the early hours of Monday morning, before spreading rapidly to the surrounding area due to strong winds blowing in the region at over 50 km/h. He confirmed that the preliminary damage recorded concerns a forest area of around 20 hectares.

Underlining the composition of the forest in question, which includes pines, cork oaks, grasses and secondary plants, the Regional Director of Water and Forests maintained that the level of danger and vigilance would remain high over the next three days.

In addition to ground teams working in difficult weather conditions, Canadair aircraft flew overhead to support fire-fighting efforts and curb the spread of the flames until the early hours of Tuesday.

The Forestry Agency has once again urged residents living close to forest areas, as well as forestry workers, holidaymakers, visitors and travellers, to exercise caution and avoid any activity likely to cause a fire outbreak. In the event of smoke detection or suspicious behavior, it is strongly recommended that incidents are promptly reported to the local authorities.

It should be noted that, in order to anticipate forest fire phenomena on a national scale, the Agence Nationale des Eaux et Forêts publishes precise daily maps identifying areas at risk of forest fires, based on sound scientific data.