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Rabat – Hot, dry conditions combined with southerly winds fueled another fire in the southeast of Morocco, destroying several hectares of a date oasis in the province of Aoufous, near Errachidia.
The fire took place the night of August 30 in the oasis of Ksar El Gara, 40 kilometers from Errachidia, in the valley of Ziz in the High Atlas mountains.
The fire reached the oasis when wind pushed flames from the south, ultimately ravaging over two kilometers of vegetation.
The fire coincides with the date harvest season in the region.Â
Authorities did not report any casualties.
Although the reason behind the spark remains unknown, locals told television channel 2M that dead-wood and dry leaves played a factor in the expansion of the fire.
The Agricultural Development Agency said that forest purification deals do not exempt local farmers from their individual responsibility, according to the same source.
Last year, the same oasis near Errachidia saw a fire in July, destroying more than 2,540 palm trees and more than 1,500 olive trees.
This is the fifth major wildfire that Morocco recorded during the month of August, including one in Haouz al Mellaliyin forest in M’diq on August 1. The blaze destroyed more than 1,000 hectares of vegetation.
The Akesmaz forest near Chefchaouen saw a similar disaster the same day, with fire destroying over 300 hectares. Flames also ravaged large parts of the Tighmert oasis near Guelmim on August 25, killing livestock.
The oasis is located 10 kilometers from Guelmim in the rural town of Asrir. It is an important tourist destination for the region, as well as a key source of local income and agricultural output.
On August 27, a fire destroyed 54 hectares of forest in the province of Al Haouz, near Marrakech.
