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Rabat – Firefighters have successfully controlled a fire that broke out in the Agandrou mountain forest near Douar Ben Aissa in the Abdelghaya Souahel commune in Al Hoceima province.
The fire broke out at around 8 p.m. on Tuesday and affected around one hectare of forested land.
Imad El Khadir, the regional director of Water, Forests, and Desertification Control in Al Hoceima, told SNRT News that dispatched teams worked quickly to bring the fire under control.
He added that local authorities are currently monitoring the area to prevent the fire from reigniting, especially with strong winds expected during mornings.
In addition, authorities launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding its outbreak.
The incident comes a week after another fire broke out in the Mouklala forest in Tetouan in the early hours of January 6.
Firefighters were able to control the fire within a few hours, and the fact that the fire coincided with rainfall in the area helped put it out faster.
The National Water and Forest Agency (ANEF) reported a significant drop in wildfires in 2024 to reach 270 fires. The total areas burned reached 780 hectares as of September, a notable decline from the 6,100 hectares destroyed due to wildfires during the same period in 2023.
ANEF added that the country saw 40% fires in 2024 compared to 2022, which recorded 375 fires.
The agency attributed this improvement to the national strategy of early intervention adopted by various partners, including the Ministry of Interior, Civil Society, and the Royal Armed Forces. This enabled authorities to control 80% of fires before the affected area reached one hectare.
