It was reported that 1 volunteer, who participated in the response activities to the forest fires in the Setif province in the east of Algeria, lost his life and 1 volunteer was seriously injured.
According to the news of Algerian state radio, 59-year-old Nesraki al-Arabi lost his life in the forest fire in the Beni Muhli region of Setif province.
The same source stated that the other injured person, who suffered serious burns on his body, was transferred to the capital Algeria by ambulance helicopter after first aid.
It was reported that the people who lost their lives and were injured were civilian volunteers who went to the region to support the fire extinguishing activities that have been ongoing in the region since July 12.
Hundreds of volunteers, as well as army elements, gendarmerie and civil defense teams, are dispatched to the fire area, while firefighting planes and helicopters from the air and many fire trucks are intervened on the ground.
In the statement made by the General Directorate of Civil Defense of Algeria, it was announced that 124 of the 133 fires detected throughout the country in the last 24 hours were completely taken under control and extinguished.
In the statement, it was stated that flame extinguishing activities continued uninterruptedly in 9 locations in the eastern, western and central provinces of the country, such as Bicaya, El-Buwayra, Setif, Saida, Seyyidi Bilabbas, Mila and Tizi Vizu.
Heat wave and "Shahili" winds are effective
It is stated that the hot southerly Siroko winds, called "Shehili" by the local people, as well as the air temperatures reaching record levels, played a role in the spread of large fires that have been affecting the northern regions of Algeria for days.
According to Civil Defense data, the number of flames recorded since July 9 has exceeded 500, and the flames have reached forest areas as well as bushes, cultivated lands, orchards and even oasis palm trees in desert regions, causing great damage to agricultural areas.
In Algeria, which has been struggling with serious drought waves in recent years, rising temperatures significantly increase the risk of forest fires.
Following the fires that caused dozens of casualties and large green areas turned to ashes in the past years, Algerian authorities increased legal measures and enacted a legal regulation that stipulates a prison sentence of up to 30 years for those who deliberately set forests on fire.