At least 12 people have died, and 54 others were burned while wildfires swept through several provinces of northeastern Algeria. The fires erupted as a severe heatwave continued to grip Algeria and other parts of North Africa.
Algeria's Interior Minister Said Sayoud said five people died in Jijel province, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou. Six of the injured people are in critical condition and are receiving treatment in intensive care.
The fires have also forced the authorities to evacuate people from areas threatened by the flames.
Hundreds of fires reported across Algeria
The magnitude of the wildfire outbreak has caused emergency services to become very much in demand.
Algeria's Civil Protection services recorded 154 wildfires across the country as of Wednesday. Bejaia province reported 36 fires, 18 of which were contained and some other fires were burning.
Firefighters have been trying to contain the flames, which have been allowed to spread fast by winds that are blowing over buildings. Emergency services have been rushed out to the worst-affected areas.
Several families in Bejaia and Jijel have left their homes as a precaution as the fires moved closer to residential areas. Residents had also taken shelter as thick smoke swept through nearby communities.
The authorities closed three major national highways connecting parts of eastern Algeria due to the fires around Bejaia, Jijel and Setif.
Algerian officials are also continuing firefighting efforts in areas where the fires remain active. Some of the provinces, such as Skikda, El Tarf, Bouira, Tizi Ouzou and Tebessa, have already been brought under control.
CRAZY WIND-WHIPPED WILDFIRES IN ALGERIA
— RT (@RT_com) August 27, 2026
KILLING at least 12 people — injuring 54 pic.twitter.com/aA2uNIJvYa
The heatwave makes firefighting more difficult
The wildfires have spread during an intense heatwave across North Africa, particularly in Algeria and neighbouring Tunisia. High temperatures and strong winds can drive wildfires and make them harder to control.
Forest fires are frequent in northern Algeria during the summer. But experts have warned that high temperatures, longer periods of drought and increasingly intense heat can make such fires more dangerous.
Algeria has seen several serious wildfires in recent years. In July 2023, fires around Bejaia killed more than 30 people and destroyed forests, farmland and homes.
The country also reported nearly 2,000 fires in July this year, highlighting the scale of the wildfire problem during the current summer. At least six people were killed in fires in Algeria in July.
The latest fires have prompted senior officials to visit Bejaia and survey the firefighting efforts and the condition of those injured. Interior Minister Said Sayoud and Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene have visited the province to assess the situation.
The remaining focus of authorities is on controlling the fires, providing medical care for injured people, and keeping residents away from areas where the flames could spread.
The death toll and the number of injuries can change as rescue and firefighting teams continue their work.
At this stage, 12 people have lost their lives, and 54 have been injured, six of them in critical condition. The widespread fires have also forced families to leave their homes and disrupted road connections in parts of northeastern Algeria.
