Algerian firefighters were grappling with blazes that have claimed the lives of 34 individuals across the northern regions on Tuesday as the fires have wreaked havoc, razing homes, coastal resorts, and vast forest areas, leaving behind vast stretches of blackened wastelands.
Driven by strong winds, the fires had also extended into neighboring Tunisia, compelling the authorities to close two border crossings in response to the escalating situation.
On Monday, fires erupted in multiple provinces in Algeria, rapidly spreading through forests, olive groves, and low-lying shrubland. In response, over 8,000 firefighters were mobilized to combat the flames and bring the situation under control.
Algerian civil protection services reported on Tuesday that 15 fires were raging across eight regions in Skikda, Jijel, Bouira, Bejaia, Tebessa, Medea, Setif, and El Tarf.
Ten of the 34 victims reported on Monday were soldiers. Authorities said they had evacuated some 1,500 people from their homes.
This week, temperatures as high as 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) were recorded in certain cities in Tunisia.
Civil protection units, supported by forestry workers and the air force, are actively engaged in extinguishing fires in various regions of Tabarka in the northwest, which shares a border with Algeria.
Moez Tria, the spokesman for Tunisian civil protection, emphasized that the primary focus was on safeguarding residential communities in the region and preventing the fire from reaching an airport in the area.
Fires also erupted in various other regions of the country, including Bizerte, Beja, and Siliana regions.