Northern Morocco Battles Raging Wildfires

(MENAFN) Moroccan officials intensified their battle on Wednesday against raging forest fires in the northern province of Chefchaouen, deploying Canadair amphibious firefighting planes to tackle the blazes that erupted Tuesday, media reported.

No casualties have been confirmed as the fires continue to devastate the region. The blaze originated in the Dardara forest, located on Chefchaouen’s outskirts, amid record-breaking temperatures, an official from the Moroccan National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) stated.

Specialized aircraft alongside civil protection units remain actively engaged in firefighting efforts.

“The people of the area didn’t sleep all night as they worked to help extinguish the fires,” local resident Suleiman Rakib told media. He also noted that the fire had inflicted considerable damage, with olive trees being particularly hard hit.

Challenging mountainous terrain covered with dense forest has complicated firefighting operations, eyewitnesses said.

Abderrahim Houmy, head of the National Water and Forest Agency, revealed to media that the fires have ravaged 500 hectares of forestland, labeling them “among the largest in the country in 2025.”

The country’s meteorological service had issued a heatwave alert on Monday, predicting soaring temperatures up to 46°C (114.8°F) in multiple regions for several days.

In 2024, Moroccan authorities reported roughly 382 forest fires that consumed about 874 hectares, marking an 82% decline compared to the previous year.

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