Unprecedented wildfires swept through eastern Algeria between August 26 and 30. The interior ministry reported 12 deaths on Wednesday but has not released updated figures. Independent counts suggest over 200 people have died. Entire towns have been destroyed.
The fires spread over 100 kilometers in just hours on Wednesday. They were so intense that a European satellite detected smoke reaching Tunisia. At the peak, nearly 200 fire fronts were burning on August 27. Temperatures over 45°C and violent winds fueled the flames. Fire tornadoes surrounded villages, trapping residents and blocking escape routes.
Burned bodies have been buried unidentified. Genetic samples are being sent to Algiers for analysis. Fires also struck Bejaia province, killing young children and destroying olive groves and fruit farms. Citizen convoys have delivered food and medicine since August 28. Local hospitals were quickly overwhelmed. Critical patients were transferred to Algiers’ burns hospital. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune visited the injured.
Many on social media question the state’s preparedness. Authorities say some fires were set deliberately. After an emergency meeting on August 30, Tebboune called for tougher action. He ordered changes to the penal code by September 15 to apply the death penalty for intentional fires. It is unclear if this means ending the execution moratorium in place since 1993.
The president also ordered the restoration of water, electricity, and phone networks. He called for urgent damage assessments to provide compensation. Major fires have been put out. But the disaster raises questions about North African forests’ vulnerability to climate change and the need for better early warning systems.
In summer 2021, 90 people died in wildfires in Kabylia. That tragedy led Algeria to buy water bombers and charter aircraft. But this arsenal was not enough against the violent winds that sped up the fires’ spread.
Reference
Le Monde, “En Algérie, face à des incendies d’une ampleur exceptionnelle, la très grande discrétion des autorités,” published August 31, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2026/08/31/en-algerie-face-a-des-incendies-d-une-ampleur-exceptionnelle-la-tres-grande-discretion-des-autorites_6762598_3212.html