Algeria Wildfires

Two waves of wildfires swept northern and north-eastern Algeria during North African heatwaves in summer 2026. On July 18, 154 forest, vegetation and agricultural fires were recorded in 24 hours, and the Interior Ministry confirmed six deaths. In Seraïdi, near Annaba, more than 100 patients were evacuated from a rehabilitation hospital, and preventive evacuations were carried out in localities including El Tarf, Béjaïa, Guelma and Bouira.

A second wave began on August 26, when fires in 10 provinces killed 12 people (five in Jijel, four in Béjaïa and three in Tizi Ouzou) and injured 54, bringing the death toll since July to 18. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared three days of mourning. At the peak, 193 fires were reported on August 27; the fires recorded between August 26 and 30 were later contained, and about 3,260 people were evacuated during the second wave. Fires also burned about 12,000 hectares in neighboring Tunisia.

As of September 1, the Algerian Red Crescent estimated that about 15,000 people had been affected across both waves, including families whose homes were destroyed, severely damaged or left unsafe to return to. The Algerian Red Crescent, part of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, has provided first aid, drinking water, food and psychosocial support, and is running an IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) operation, MDRDZ015, launched on July 29 to assist 8,000 people. Government and local authorities are carrying out loss assessments and recovery measures covering housing, agriculture, livestock and livelihoods.