One person killed in Morocco as forest fires continue to rage

Forest fires have continued to rage through northern parts of Morocco on Friday, which have now killed one person in the coastal city of Larache, where 900 hectares of land have bee destroyed, according to local media.

The victim’s body was found in a forest in the Larache province, covered in burn marks according to the Francophone news website TelQuel.

Local sources added that the inferno in the Lambika forest is now under control, but an other inferno in the nearby Saleh el-Menzeh forest is still by local authorities.

🔴 𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗧 | Le feu de forêt qui s'est déclaré ce jeudi 14 juillet 2022 dans la région de Larache prend de l'ampleur pic.twitter.com/5p3BhPd4bM

— Le360 (@Le360fr) July 14, 2022

Authorities have also assured the transfer of 1,100 families to 15 nearby town from surrounding villages as a safety measure.

Meanwhile, firefighters in the town of Ouazzane are still battling the fires that have consumed the forests of Zoumi and Mokrisset as of Friday, according to LeDesk.

210 hectares of land have so far been destroyed in Ouazzane, but no casualties have been reported.

Moroccan authorities have been using several resources and materials in an effort to put out the fires, including eight Canadair Superscouper and Turbo Thrush planes. However, the inferno is proving difficult to contain due to a lack of water sources nearby, as well as a challenging terrain.

The forest fires, which started on Wednesday evening, have so far destroyed hundreds of hectares of land, and have prompted the evacuation of 500 families all together, across the provinces of Taza, Larache Ouezzane and Tetouan- all located in the North African kingdom’s northern region.

Authorities have also been struggling to gain access to the fires, due to the isolated nature of the regions.

Moroccan authorities have attributed the forest fires’ causes to soaring temperatures nearing 45 degrees Celsius as Morocco is witnessing strong droughts, while the infernos have spread largely due to strong winds that have plagued the region.