A forest fire near Tetouan in northern Morocco has triggered an intensive response, with ground crews and Canadair aircraft battling the flames since early Saturday.
Moroccan authorities launched a full-scale firefighting effort on Saturday after a blaze broke out in a forest near Mellalyène, within the Tetouan region.
Fouad El Assali, director of Climate and Environmental Risks and Reforestation at the National Water and Forest Agency, confirmed the fire began in the morning and is being fought with “intensive ground operations” and support from four Canadair amphibious aircraft.
“It is still too early to assess the extent of the damage,” El Assali told Morocco’s national television website.
Authorities are working to prevent the spread of the flames amid heightened fire risks across northern provinces. On 15 July, the National Water and Forest Agency urged residents near forest zones to exercise caution and report any signs of smoke or suspicious activity.
The Moroccan government announced on 16 May that $17 million had been allocated for wildfire response during the 2025 summer season.
According to Abderrahim Houmy, director general of the National Water and Forest Agency, Morocco saw 382 wildfires in 2024—an 82% decrease compared to 2023. He said the fires burned 874 hectares, with secondary grasses and seasonal plants accounting for nearly 45% of the affected area.
Forests make up roughly 12% of Morocco’s land area and remain vulnerable to seasonal fires driven by both climate conditions and human negligence.
A senior Russian military intelligence officer has been rushed to hospital after being shot several times in Moscow, in the latest apparent assassinat...
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos arrived in Türkiye on Friday for high-level talks centred on the modernisation of the EU-Türkiye C...
Mexico is assessing whether it can resume fuel deliveries to Cuba without triggering U.S. tariffs, as both sides hold frequent talks and Havana warns ...
Iran and the United States opened nuclear talks in Oman on Friday, with Tehran calling the meeting a good start and both sides agreeing to continue di...
After months of heightened tension following their war in June 2025 and weeks of escalating mutual threats, Iran and the United States resumed fragile...
Here are the latest stories from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across the African continent.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has described playing the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil as a “positive responsibility”, as the Atlas Lions prepare for their tournament opener against Comoros on Sunday.
At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities said on Monday (15 December).
At least 37 people have died and dozens of others were injured after flash floods swept through Morocco’s Atlantic coastal city of Safi on Sunday, authorities said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has deployed one of its largest ballistic missiles at a newly unveiled underground base on Wednesday (3 February), just two days ahead of mediated nuclear talks with the United States in Muscat, Oman.
Morocco has evacuated more than 100,000 people from four provinces after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods across several northern regions, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday (4 February), health officials said, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire.
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos arrived in Türkiye on Friday for high-level talks centred on the modernisation of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, which both sides have described as vital to the future of bilateral relations.
Mexico is assessing whether it can resume fuel deliveries to Cuba without triggering U.S. tariffs, as both sides hold frequent talks and Havana warns of worsening shortages.
After months of heightened tension following their war in June 2025 and weeks of escalating mutual threats, Iran and the United States resumed fragile nuclear diplomacy on Friday, as negotiators from both sides held critical mediated talks in Muscat, Oman.
The United States has accused Beijing of conducting a covert nuclear test in 2020, adding fresh strain to already fraught relations as Washington presses for a broader arms control treaty to include China as well as Russia.
A senior Russian military intelligence officer has been rushed to hospital after being shot several times in Moscow, in the latest apparent assassination attempt targeting the country’s top brass since the start of the war in Ukraine.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment