On July 17, 2026, Moroccan authorities successfully extinguished forest fires that erupted in the regions of Al Haouz (to the north) and Taroudant (to the south), burning approximately 115 hectares of forest cover without any reported human casualties. According to a representative of the National Agency for Water and Forests, speaking to Anadolu Agency, the fires broke out on Wednesday before response teams managed to bring them under control and extinguish them.
The official, who requested anonymity due to not being authorized to speak with the media, revealed that authorities utilized two amphibious aircraft, specifically the 'Canadair' model, in their firefighting operations. However, they noted that strong winds and rising temperatures impeded the efforts of the response teams and contributed to the spread of the fires.
On July 5, the Moroccan authorities had urged residents in forest-adjacent areas across 12 provinces to exercise caution due to a heightened risk of fire incidents. The National Agency for Water and Forests previously issued a statement indicating that the highest level of risk, classified as red, encompasses forests in 12 out of 75 provinces in the kingdom.
Morocco employs an early warning system to assess the risks of forest fires, which the agency uses to issue periodic alerts based on climatic conditions and the state of vegetation cover. The red level signifies an extreme risk of fire outbreaks, while the orange level indicates a high risk, necessitating enhanced precautionary measures and the avoidance of activities that could potentially ignite fires.
These warnings coincided with a weather advisory issued by the General Directorate of Meteorology regarding an intense heatwave, with temperatures potentially reaching up to 46 degrees Celsius in certain regions.
As reported by aa.com.tr.
