Tunisia has been hit by at least 900 fires over a 72-hour period as an intense heatwave scorches the country, according to a senior official. Khalil Mechri, a civil protection official, explained that the fires were not limited to forests but also included brushland, crops, and houses. The blazes occurred between 20 and 22 July, with most extinguished by now, apart from two major ones still active.

An Italian firefighting aircraft has joined the efforts to contain the two wildfires not yet under control, one of which is located in the north-western region of Sakiet Sidi Youssef. Colonel-Major of Civil Protection, Seif Eddine Dekhlaoui, stated they requested international assistance resulting in one Italian plane and two Algerian planes aiding their firefighting efforts.

‘The flames are still present. We hope that in the coming hours, the situation gets better, with wind speeds dropping and flames reducing on all fronts,’ Colonel-Major Dekhlaoui said.

This outbreak has been accompanied by exceptional heat, with temperatures on Tuesday reaching between 40 and 49 degrees Celsius, depending on the region, exceeding seasonal averages by 8 to 14 degrees. Tunisia is also experiencing daily planned power cuts to ease pressure on the grid.

The heatwave follows an especially rainy winter and an unusually high amount of dried-out plant cover, which Mechri stated contributed to the outbreak of fires. According to Tunisia’s director general of forests, Mohamed Noufel Ben Haha, approximately 4,400 hectares of forestland were burned between 1 May and 23 July, compared to 2,705 hectares during the same period last year. He attributed the fires primarily to negligence and criminal acts, in addition to the extreme heat conditions.

Source: africanews.com