In Kenitra as well as other cities in Morocco, Canadairs are working hard to fill water tanks and water the surrounding forests in the face of the risk of fires. In the midst of the heat wave that is hitting the Kingdom, precautionary measures are taken in advance.
With the approach of Aid Al Adha in this period of intense heat wave in Morocco and following alerts of “medium” to “extreme” risk of forest fires in several provinces, the authorities have decided to act to avoid a disaster.
Canadairs were seen making several round trips to fill their tanks in the Sebou River, in order to dump them in sensitive areas likely to see fire starts.
The previous year, at the same time, Morocco had experienced terrible episodes of forest fires which broke out simultaneously with the Aid celebrations.
Nearly 500 men from the Waters and Forests, Civil Protection, local authorities, Royal Armed Forces, Royal Gendarmerie and Auxiliary Forces were mobilized for two months.
The firefighters had declared that the causes of these fires were eminently human, raising the hypothesis that the citizens had organized barbecues in the forests, thus participating in the starting of the fires.
This year again, the Aid celebrations coincide with an intense heat wave across the country. Temperatures of up to 44°C as maximum were announced by the General Directorate of Meteorology.
The orange and red weather alert bulletins follow one another and the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) has announced a “medium” to “extreme” risk of forest fires in several provinces of the Kingdom during the days of Monday and Tuesday but the alert may continue during the days to come, especially with the wind expected at the end of the week.
An extreme red level fire risk has been reported in the provinces of Tangier-Assilah and Taounate, a high orange level risk in the provinces of Chefchaouen, Larache, Kénitra, Sidi Slimane, Rabat, Khémissat, Taza, Sefrou, Ifrane, Khénifra, Beni Mellal, Azilal, Essaouira and Agadir ida Outanane, and a medium risk of yellow level has been reported in the provinces of Tetouan, Ouezzane, Benslimane, Oujda, Berkane and Taroudant.