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Algeria Fights 19 Wildfires as Power Reinstated After Blackout
(MENAFN) Firefighters in Algeria are still working to contain 19 wildfires spread across 10 provinces as the country endures a punishing heat wave, authorities said Wednesday, even as electricity has been fully restored to 16 provinces struck by a widespread blackout.
The General Directorate of Civil Protection reported that 139 separate fires have broken out since Tuesday. Crews have already put out 120 of them, but containment efforts remain underway in 10 provinces, among them Setif, Bejaia, and Saida, the agency said in a statement.
Military aircraft have joined the fight, dropping water on affected areas to reinforce ground crews, the agency added.
The fires have already taken a toll: one person was killed and another seriously injured in Setif on Tuesday.
In a separate development, Energy and Renewable Energy Minister Mourad Adjal told state television that power had been fully restored across all 16 provinces hit by Tuesday night's outage.
He attributed the blackout to a technical failure at an electrical facility in the Sidi Okba area of Biskra Province, explaining that extreme heat combined with high humidity had triggered a cascade of power fluctuations.
The outage came just as the country's energy grid faced unprecedented strain. On Monday, Algeria posted its highest electricity demand ever recorded — 21,870 megawatts — as the heat wave tightened its grip nationwide. State utility Sonelgaz said that figure topped Sunday's previous record of 21,120 megawatts by 750 megawatts.
There's little relief in sight. Algeria's national meteorological service says the heat wave will persist through Friday, with desert regions expected to hit as high as 49C (120.2F) and some Mediterranean coastal provinces topping 45C (113F).
The North African nation has faced a growing pattern of drought and rising temperatures in recent years, conditions that have heightened the danger of forest and vegetation fires. Past wildfire disasters have killed and injured dozens and scorched vast stretches of land, pushing authorities to adopt harsher penalties — including prison terms of up to 30 years — for those found responsible for starting them.
The General Directorate of Civil Protection reported that 139 separate fires have broken out since Tuesday. Crews have already put out 120 of them, but containment efforts remain underway in 10 provinces, among them Setif, Bejaia, and Saida, the agency said in a statement.
Military aircraft have joined the fight, dropping water on affected areas to reinforce ground crews, the agency added.
The fires have already taken a toll: one person was killed and another seriously injured in Setif on Tuesday.
In a separate development, Energy and Renewable Energy Minister Mourad Adjal told state television that power had been fully restored across all 16 provinces hit by Tuesday night's outage.
He attributed the blackout to a technical failure at an electrical facility in the Sidi Okba area of Biskra Province, explaining that extreme heat combined with high humidity had triggered a cascade of power fluctuations.
The outage came just as the country's energy grid faced unprecedented strain. On Monday, Algeria posted its highest electricity demand ever recorded — 21,870 megawatts — as the heat wave tightened its grip nationwide. State utility Sonelgaz said that figure topped Sunday's previous record of 21,120 megawatts by 750 megawatts.
There's little relief in sight. Algeria's national meteorological service says the heat wave will persist through Friday, with desert regions expected to hit as high as 49C (120.2F) and some Mediterranean coastal provinces topping 45C (113F).
The North African nation has faced a growing pattern of drought and rising temperatures in recent years, conditions that have heightened the danger of forest and vegetation fires. Past wildfire disasters have killed and injured dozens and scorched vast stretches of land, pushing authorities to adopt harsher penalties — including prison terms of up to 30 years — for those found responsible for starting them.
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