Massive Wildfire Destroys 65 Hectares in Morocco’s Chefchaouen Forest

According to the provisional assessment, the fire that broke out in the Achacha-Tassift forest in the province of Chefchaouen has ravaged about 65 hectares, said Abdelaziz Hajjaji, Regional Director of Water and Forests and the Fight against Desertification (HCEFLCD) of Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima.

To contain the fire, he said, the elements of the Regional Delegation of the HCEFLCD and the Civil Protection, the Auxiliary Forces, the Royal Armed Forces and the local authorities are at work.

Also, two "Canadair" planes went as reinforcements the first two days and three more of the same type during the third day, said Abdelaziz Hajjaji. The difficulty of the terrain in the region, he noted, complicates the access of fire engines and trucks to the fire zone to control the fire.

Fires are commonplace in the Kingdom. In 2018, 343 fires ravaged a total area of 841 hectares, according to the National Center for the Management of Climatic and Forest Risks.