The National Agency of Water and Forests (ANEF) ground intervention teams, supported by the Royal Armed Forces and two Canadair aircraft from the Royal Air Force, intensified their efforts on Thursday to contain blazes that broke out in the Haut Ouargha and Moyen Ouargha forests, between Morocco’s northern provinces of Taounate and Al Hoceïma.
ANEF’s interim provincial director Yassine El Aydi told MAP that the first fire which broke out on August 20 in the Haut Ourgha forest was now 90% contained. The flames ravaged vast swaths of forest totaling 40 hectares, mainly consisting of holm oak trees.
The second fire which started Wednesday in the areas of Outate Chaair and Ouedka, in the Ouedka commune (Taounate province), destroyed about 35 hectares of the Moyen Ouargha forest.
El Aydi said that the wildfires had spread rapidly due to high temperatures and the chergui wind, adding that two Canadair aircraft had carried out 14 missions in support of the ground teams on Wednesday morning.
Residents of the region had also tried to contain the flames on Thursday, he noted, adding that no human casualties have been recorded in the two wildfires.
The ANEF recently issued warnings of a “medium” to “severe” risk of wildfire amidst the ongoing heatwave in Morocco, as it identified as Code Red the fire risk in the Tangier-Assilah and Taounate regions (Northern Morocco).
The danger level reached orange (high risk) in the regions of Chefchaouen, Larache, Kenitra, Sidi Slimane, Rabat, Khemisset, Taza, Sefrou, Ifrane, Khenifra, Beni Mellal, Azilal, Essaouira, Agadir Idaoutanan, according to the ANEF.
The regions of Tetouan, Ouazzane, Ibn Slimane, Oujda, Berkane, and Taroudant are in the yellow (moderate) range.