Mobilisation d’une flotte de 25 appareils aériens

Mobilization of a fleet of 25 aircraft

Fight against fires

The general delegate for major risks at the Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities, Hamid Afra, announced on Tuesday the strengthening of aerial firefighting resources.
“This year again, the aerial means of fighting forest fires have been reinforced.” “This is the fourth year that we have used aerial means of extinguishing fires, whether chartered or acquired,” he said. he indicated.
Speaking on the airwaves of Channel III of the National Radio where he was the guest of the program ”Guest of the Editorial Staff”, Hamid Afra, assured that on the plan of acquisition of seven bomber planes water in 2024, six have already been received at Algiers airport, the seventh will arrive in the fourth quarter of this year.
“If we add the already existing resources, namely six Civil Protection helicopters and five other aircraft from the Ministry of National Defense, without forgetting the Beriev acquired and which has a capacity of 12,000 liters of water, that makes a fleet of 25 aerial devices mobilized this season to fight fires,” he continued. Noting that six other aircraft have been chartered.
Stating that drones are also used for fire detection, the general delegate for major risks at the Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities reassured about the availability of water to put out fires. “We have 12 dams eligible for scooping, because they have a body of water with a length of at least 500 meters, a condition for a plane to be able to refuel there. There are also water basins made in the forest areas and sea water available along the coast,” he said.
Unlike other major risks, notes the guest of the program ”Guest of the Editorial Staff”, on Channel III of the National Radio, the risks of fires are predictable from weather data which represent factors aggravating.
“However, the outbreak of fire is not predictable and in most cases, it is of criminal origin. This is why we must work on prevention and awareness,” added Hamid Afra, recalling that the law relating to forests and forest resources qualifies the voluntary act of burning as a terrorist crime and the handling of these cases is done at the specialized center of Sidi M’hamed.
Referring to the damage caused by forest fires in 2023, Hamid Afra revealed that they cost 4.5 billion DA, noting that to strengthen prevention and vigilance, and thus reduce losses, the General Directorate of Forests had the agreement of the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Finance to recruit seasonal workers.
“Another new feature this year is the campaign to combat forest fires that began on May 1, a month earlier than usual,” said the general delegate for major risks at the Ministry of Forestry. Interior and Local Authorities. Noting that this decision was taken to adapt to global warming.
An Interministerial Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, he continued, was held the day before, Monday, on the subject of preventing and combating forest fires. This is, he said, the second Interministerial Council after that of March 26, during which the National Plan to combat forest fires was examined.
“This plan includes numerous preventive actions, in particular the opening of forest trails and the creation of water points and landing areas for air assets.”
Rabah Mokhtari