Firefighters battle forest fire in northern Morocco amid heat wave

Nearly 180 hectares of Bouhachem forest burned since Thursday, according to officials

By Ahmad Bentaher and Betul Yilmaz

RABAT, Morocco / ISTANBUL (AA) – Moroccan firefighters continued efforts on Sunday to extinguish a raging forest fire in Morocco’s northern Chefchaouen province.

An official from Morocco’s National Agency for Waters and Forests said in press statements cited by local media that the fire first erupted on Thursday in the Bouhachem forest in the province amid soaring temperatures.

He said the blaze has burned an area of around 180 hectares of land.

No casualties have so far been reported.

Authorities reported 382 wildfires in 2024, destroying about 874 hectares of forest, an 82% decrease compared to 2023.

Forests cover roughly 12% of Morocco’s territory, which experiences fires of varying severity each year due to weather conditions and human activity.

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