Tunisia seeks foreign air support as 900 fires hit during heatwave

Tunisia seeks foreign air support as 900 fires hit during heatwave

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Tunisia recorded at least 900 fires in just 72 hours as a severe heatwave swept across the country, with authorities requesting international assistance to contain major wildfires still burning in the north-west.

Civil protection official Khalil Mechri said the blazes, recorded between 20 and 22 July, were not confined to forests and also affected brushland, crops and homes.

“These are not only forest fires but also brushland, crops, houses,” Mechri said, adding that most incidents had been extinguished, although two major wildfires remained active.

According to Africanews, Tunisia enlisted support from neighbouring countries, with an Italian firefighting aircraft joining two Algerian planes to contain one of the biggest fires in the north-western area of Sakiet Sidi Youssef.

Colonel-Major of Civil Protection Seif Eddine Dekhlaoui said authorities were relying on improving weather conditions to help firefighters gain the upper hand.

“We requested international assistance, and at the moment one Italian plane and two Algerian planes are helping to put out the fire,” Dekhlaoui said.

“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,” he added.

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The wave of fires came as exceptionally high temperatures scorched large parts of Tunisia. On Tuesday, temperatures ranged between 40 and 49 degrees Celsius, exceeding seasonal averages by between 8 and 14 degrees.

The extreme heat also put pressure on the national electricity network, leading authorities to introduce daily planned power cuts to reduce strain on the grid.

Mechri said the fires were fuelled by unusually large amounts of dried vegetation after an exceptionally rainy winter, creating conditions that allowed flames to spread quickly.

Tunisia’s Director General of Forests Mohamed Noufel Ben Haha said about 4,400 hectares of forestland had been destroyed by fire between 1 May and 23 July, compared with 2,705 hectares during the same period last year.

Ben Haha attributed the increase in wildfires to human negligence, criminal acts and the prolonged spell of extreme heat.

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