Algerian authorities say emergency crews and military units have been mobilized to contain a wave of wildfires that affected several northern provinces, including Bejaia in Kabylie, as officials begin assessing losses for affected families.
The latest official figures indicate that the immediate emergency has eased in many areas. Algeria’s Civil Protection said on July 27 that teams had extinguished 45 of 63 wildfires recorded across several provinces during the previous 24 hours. Two days earlier, authorities said 97% of the fires affecting multiple wilayas had been brought under control with support from Civil Protection, the People’s National Army and forestry services.
The response followed a dangerous escalation earlier in the week. In Seraidi, on the wooded heights above Annaba, patients were moved from a rehabilitation hospital as flames approached populated areas. Bejaia also recorded several active fires, including a blaze near Boukhelifa that forced the evacuation of Ifoughalene village and threatened nearby communities.
Algeria’s Ministry of National Defence said on July 25 that army detachments were supporting firefighting operations across a wide range of provinces, including Bejaia in the 5th Military Region. The ministry said aircraft, helicopters, fire trucks, ambulances and evacuation resources were deployed as part of the response.
In Bejaia, local authorities have since moved into the damage-assessment phase. A wilaya-level commission began inventorying and evaluating losses caused by the forest fires in order to support affected households, according to Algeria Press Service.
The fires have affected forests, scrubland, farmland and mountain communities across northern Algeria. For communities in Kabylie and the Aurès, the damage can extend to olive groves, homes and livelihoods tied to fragile forest and agricultural landscapes.
The scale of the response underlines the pressure that extreme summer heat and dry vegetation continue to place on communities across the region. It is also likely to renew questions about prevention, aerial firefighting resources and local preparedness as wildfire seasons intensify.