Rabat – Firefighting teams and the National Agency for Water and Forests are racing against time to put out a forest fire in the Benqrih commune, near Tetouan.
The fire broke out on Tuesday evening at around 8:23 p.m., SNRT News reported.
A civil protection official in Tetouan told the outlet that firefighting efforts are still ongoing to stop the flames from spreading to nearby areas.
The same source explained that strong “Chergui” winds in the region have fueled the fire and made it more difficult to control, along with the area’s rugged terrain.
Wildfires have become a growing risk in Morocco and across the Mediterranean, especially during hot and dry summer months.
High temperatures, combined with drought conditions, dry vegetation, and strong winds, create ideal conditions for fires to ignite and spread quickly.
Experts warn that climate change is also increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, which experts say will make wildfires more common in the years ahead.
In recent weeks, Spain, Portugal, and Greece have also faced severe wildfires fueled by extreme heat and prolonged dryness. In Portugal, major fires in the center and north have burned thousands of hectares of land, and forced evacuations in several areas.
In Spain, a man died from severe burns while rescuing horses near Madrid, and more than 3,700 people were evacuated as blazes destroyed thousands of hectares, killed livestock, and damaged a UNESCO site.
Fires have also erupted in Albania, Croatia, Turkiye, Montenegro, and southern France, with record-breaking heat, strong winds, and prolonged drought making conditions highly flammable.
Authorities across the region warn of “extreme” fire risk and are investigating some outbreaks of the Europe fires as possible arson.
