At least 12 people were killed in wildfires that swept through several Algerian provinces, Interior Minister Said Sayoud said late on Wednesday, amid a severe heatwave gripping North Africa.
The fatalities included five people in Jijel province, four in Bejaia and three in Tizi Ouzou.
Sayoud added that 54 people had suffered burn injuries, including six in critical condition who are currently in intensive care.
Algeria's civil protection services recorded 154 wildfires across the country on Wednesday. 36 fires were reported in Bejaia province alone, of which 18 had been brought under control.
The fires come as a severe heatwave sweeps across North Africa, particularly Tunisia and Algeria.
Firefighters are battling at least 69 blazes across the country, the civil protection agency said on Wednesday evening.
The Bejaia region saw devastating fires tear through forest and farmland three years ago when 30 people were killed.
Last month, authorities recorded at least six deaths caused by fires, with crews battling more than 2,000 blazes across Algeria in July alone.
While Algeria regularly experiences forest fires around the summer months, climate change has exacerbated the intensity and severity of recent wildfires in the country.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said extreme heat had become common in North Africa, a region that has seen the most rapid warming of the six subregions of Africa — 0.43°C per decade — between 1991 and 2025.
Rising heat and water shortages have also led to an increase in camel deaths during summer heatwaves in Algeria.
