Rabat – A fire that broke out on Thursday, August 29, has burned up 470 hectares of trees and land in the Achacha-Tassift forest in northern Morocco, near Chefchaouen.
The fire destroyed maritime pines, Aleppo pines, junipers, and evergreen oaks in the Talassemtane National Park east of Chefchaouen, according to Abdelaziz Hajjaji, the regional director of water, forests, and the fight against desertification (HCEFLCD) for the Tangier-Tetouan region.
Hajjaji told state-owned news agency Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) that the trees made up about half of the burned vegetation. The other half was made up of “herbs.” The area is known for its fields of marijuana plants.
As many as 300 professionals and ordinary citizens have fought to contain the fire, which spread because of high temperatures and windy conditions. As of Wednesday, September 4, they were still fighting the blaze.
The Royal Moroccan Air Forces sent in eight aircraft to help control the fire. Hajjaji noted that the region’s terrain has made fighting the fire difficult.
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