Algeria reports 141,000 hectares destroyed by summer wildfires

Algeria's 2026 summer season has resulted in significant ecological and agricultural devastation due to intense wildfires. According to Lieutenant-Colonel Nassim Bernaoui of the General Directorate of Civil Protection, more than 141,000 hectares of vegetation have been destroyed.

The breakdown of the damage includes over 43,000 hectares of forests, 46,000 hectares of scrubland, 38,000 hectares of brush and dry grass, and 13,000 hectares of high-altitude vegetation. The fires also heavily impacted the agricultural sector, consuming nearly 2,000 cultivated plots. Specific losses include over 4,000 hectares of wheat, 2,000 hectares of barley, 668,000 bales of hay, and at least 131,000 fruit trees. Preliminary estimates also suggest that more than 70,000 palm trees have been affected.