15 July 2022

One dead and hundreds evacuated due to Morocco wildfires

15 July 2022

Firefighters and the military have struggled to contain three wildfires in northern Morocco that have killed at least one person as hundreds of residents evacuated their homes.

Efforts to extinguish the blazes have been hampered by high temperatures and strong winds in the North African country.

The interior ministry said that one person has died in the fires and more than 1,500 hectares of forest have been destroyed.

Workers try to put out a forest blaze (AP) (AP)

In the Laarach area, 1,100 families had to evacuate because of two fires that have since been put out.

The fire destroyed 900 hectares of land and damaged many homes, according to the interior ministry.

Firefighters were still trying to put out fires in several other areas including Tetouan, Taza and Ouzzane. They are using trucks, bulldozers and water-dumping planes, the interior ministry said.

Morocco has been in the grip of a heatwave for a week, with temperature soaring over 40C (104F).

Strong winds are in the forecast for the coming days, complicating efforts to contain fires, according to the national meteorology agency.

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