Rabat – Massive wildfires have engulfed various regions of Morocco, destroying more than 1,000 hectares of land and killing one.
The fire in Laarayech has been controlled as of Friday morning, official sources reported, but not before it destroyed approximately 900 hectares of forest. Authorities also found one dead body with what is suspected to be burn injuries.
Over 1,000 families were evacuated in the region and relocated to 15 nearby towns and communes in an effort to minimize casualties.
In Ouazzane however, local authorities continue to fight the wildfires as of Friday.
The fires, which have so far consumed more than 200 hectares, are proving difficult to manage due to challenging terrain and the lack of large, nearby water sources.
No human casualties have been reported so far in Ouazzane.
Authorities have said they are working to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby human residences, stressing that strengthening their human resources and intervention technologies will be key to their efforts.
In addition to the usual firefighting trucks and civilian volunteers, authorities have deployed four Canadair Superscooper planes to the site of the fires, as well as four others of the Turbo Thrush model.
This summer season is proving to be especially risky for wildfires, due to high temperatures that have approached the high forties in some regions and record droughts that have left the forestry dry and susceptible to fire.
Human carelessness also can play a role, as lighting campfires or throwing cigarette butts in forests can start massive wildfires.
This may prove to be a test for Morocco’s readiness for such disasters, as the country bolstered its firefighting arsenal last year with the purchase of Superscooper planes from Canadair.
