Civil protection controls Bejaia fires

On Saturday morning, Civil Protection in Algeria took control of most of the fires that broke out simultaneously in the Bejaia region on Friday evening, forcing the authorities to evacuate areas of population, with the intervention of the army.

The protection services, which were supported by firefighting units brought in from neighboring states, succeeded in extinguishing most of the fires on Saturday morning, after intervention from firefighting aircraft, which are still carrying out water-spraying sorties to ensure the ground cools and the fires do not recur again.

The Civil Protection Services reported that no loss of life or material losses were recorded, and explained, in a statement, that there are only two fires that are still being dealt with by firefighting teams and aircraft, while the areas that have been controlled are being monitored and guarded, to prevent the return of the fires.

This allowed the National Gendarmerie units to announce the reopening of roads that were closed on Friday evening due to their proximity to fire areas, in order to preserve the safety of citizens. On Friday evening, the authorities began an emergency evacuation of residents, after a series of massive fires broke out in various areas in the state of Bejaia, in the east of the country.

The fire broke out suddenly and simultaneously in the region, and spread in a way that became a danger to the residents of several villages in Ouqas, Tishi, Toja, Boulimat, Saket Forest, Tizi Nebarbar, and in the Dargina region of Bejaia Province, and the fire reached the borders of populated towns and villages.

The Civil Protection of Bejaia Province announced the evacuation of residents from the areas, with the help of army units, “to preserve their safety and to prevent any consequences,” according to a statement, noting that its units are working with army units to confront any dangers that may result from this fire.

Due to the expansion of the fires, on Friday evening, the authorities announced the interruption of traffic on some roads that pass through or near the areas where the fires broke out, especially those linking the states of Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou, where traffic was diverted to other alternative roads.

Eyewitnesses told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “the fires reached the borders of the towns, and the fire approached a gas station in one of the towns,” and “electricity went out in some of the areas where the fires broke out tonight.”

At the end of last July, these areas witnessed massive fires, which claimed the lives of 34 people, including ten soldiers, and led to the destruction of homes and facilities, the destruction of agricultural fields, and the destruction of livestock.