Algeria says all wildfires under control

Algeria’s Civil Protection Authority today said that all wildfires across the country have been brought under control.

“With regard to forest fires, the intervention of civil protection personnel enabled the extinguishing of seven forest fires in six states during the past 24 hours,” the authority said in a statement.

The seven fires were extinguished in the provinces of Ain Defla, Blida, Bejaia, Setif, and Khenchela and the remaining two fires were put out in Jijel.

Unprecedented forest fires in the North African country have affected about 20 Algerian provinces in recent weeks.

Last week, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the arrest of 22 people suspected of being behind the deadly wildfires that have killed 69 people, including 28 army personnel.

At least 61 people have been arrested following the lynching of a man wrongly accused of starting the deadly wildfires in the country last week. Some suspects have also been charged with damaging public and police property.

At least 65 people have been killed by the fires that have hit Algeria – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

READ: Algeria experts warn of massive floods after deadly wildfires