Deadly wildfires hit the north-east, with Jijel worst affected
Wildfires burned across 16 wilayas from 26 to 30 August during a heatwave above 45 °C. The official toll was 12 dead and 54 injured, and three days of national mourning were declared.
Fires and toll
Strong winds and extreme heat spread the fires across a front from the centre to the far east of the country. Jijel suffered the most damage, with about 1,200 square kilometres of forest burned according to the Associated Press.
The Interior Ministry gave a toll of 12 dead and 54 injured on 26 August, six of them in intensive care. That figure has not been updated, and some independent media report a higher toll.
The state's response
President Tebboune cut short his holiday, visited burns units in Algiers and declared three days of national mourning on 27 August. A special Council of Ministers declared Jijel a disaster area. The state promised compensation and the rebuilding of homes, with schools repaired first.
Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited Jijel on 27 August. Civil Protection said all fires were under control on 30 August. Large convoys of food, water, medicine and clothing came from across the country.
Tebboune also called for the death penalty for people who start fires on purpose, which pro-government and Islamist parties supported and democratic parties and rights groups opposed.
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