Rabat — Moroccan firefighters worked on Sunday to contain yet another forest fire burning in the northern Chefchaouen province, authorities reported.
The fire broke out Thursday in the Bouhachem forest amid high temperatures, according to an official from Morocco’s National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF).
The blaze has consumed approximately 80hectares of forest cover so far, including cork oak trees and secondary vegetation, though no casualties have occurred.
Eight aircraft joined the firefighting effort, including four Canadair planes and four Turbo Thrush aircraft. These planes targeted three active fire zones out of seven total hotspots identified in the area.
Meanwhile, ground crews from the ANEF, civil protection units, local authorities, and volunteers continued extinguishing operations throughout the weekend.
Officials warned that the devastation could rise as active fire zones continued burning into Sunday morning.
This marks the second major fire in the region within a week.
Last week, firefighters spent four days extinguishing a blaze in the Dardara forest that burned 500 hectares.
Morocco recorded 382 wildfires in 2024, which destroyed about 874 hectares of forest. This represents an 82% decrease compared to 2023 figures, showing improvement in the country’s fire management efforts.
Forests cover roughly 12% of Morocco’s territory. The country faces fires of varying intensity each year due to rising global temperatures, persistent drought, and human error.
The recent fires in Chefchaouen reflect the ongoing challenges authorities face in protecting the country’s forest resources during fire season, which are mainly exacerbated by climate change.
