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Faced with the resurgence of forest fires, which have caused considerable damage in recent years, Algeria has decided to strengthen its means of combating them. In anticipation of the heatwave season, 25 aerial aircraft, including 6 recently acquired water bombers, will be mobilized to fight the fires. Drones will also be used for early detection of outbreaks.
“This is the fourth year that we have used aerial means of extinguishing fires, whether chartered or acquired. On the plan to acquire seven water bomber planes in 2024, six have already been received at Algiers airport, the seventh will arrive in the fourth quarter of this year. Six other aircraft were chartered,” said Hamid Afra, general delegate for major risks at the Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities.
In addition to these air assets, the country has, according to the same official, 12 Civil Protection helicopters and 5 other aircraft from the Ministry of National Defense. A Beriev with a capacity of 12,000 liters of water will complete the fleet. Mr. Afra assured that “the country has enough water to fight these fires. “We have 12 dams eligible for scooping, a body of water with a length of at least 500 meters, a condition for an aircraft to be able to refuel there. There are also water basins created in the forest areas as well as sea water available along the coast,” he said.
In addition to strengthening material resources, the authorities are also focusing on prevention and awareness to reduce the number of fire outbreaks. Thus, the campaign to fight forest fires began on 1er May, one month ahead of previous years. This decision was taken to adapt to climate change and the increased risk of fires. According to the general delegate, “the damage caused by forest fires in 2023 cost 4.5 billion dinars”.
A national plan in place
To strengthen prevention and vigilance, and thus reduce losses, “the General Directorate of Forests has had the agreement of the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Finance to recruit seasonal workers”, underlined Hamid Afra. A national plan to combat forest fires was also developed during an interministerial council, chaired the day before yesterday by the Prime Minister. This plan includes in particular the opening of forest trails as well as the creation of water points and landing areas for air assets.
During this council, in which the Ministers of the Interior, Agriculture, Finance, Environment as well as forestry officials took part, the need to strengthen coordination between the different stakeholders in the fight against forest fires was highlighted. They also called for increased mobilization of the population to prevent fires from breaking out.
Forest fires constitute a major risk in Algeria, especially as weather conditions, notably high heat and drought, increase their frequency and intensity. If meteorological data makes it possible to predict fire risks, it is important to remember that most fire outbreaks are of criminal origin.
In this case, arson is considered a terrorist crime. Perpetrators of such acts are liable to heavy penalties. “The law qualifies the intentional act of arson as a terrorist crime, and these cases are handled at the specialized center of Sidi M’hamed,” he explained.
In addition to repressive measures, authorities are also carrying out awareness campaigns to dissuade people from setting fire to forests. These campaigns emphasize the serious consequences of forest fires on the environment and the economy.
Coal producers who do not respect the law, by extracting it illegally, are one of those responsible for the fires. Moreover, yesterday, the El-Tarf gendarmerie dismantled a network of coal traffickers which operated in the Fertassa forest, commune of Echatt. Three individuals were arrested red-handed for illegally burning trees for charcoal production.
This same phenomenon also took place last week in the same forest. Four people were arrested for deliberately setting fire to the forest adjacent to Fertassa beach, said a press release from the public prosecutor at the Dréan court.
The Civil Protection of the wilaya of Bouira succeeded yesterday in containing a fire which broke out in a wheat field in the commune of Aïn Bessam. In total, 2 hectares of wheat were destroyed by the flames. However, firefighters managed to save 100 hectares of crops, thus avoiding an agricultural disaster.