Forest fires tore through several provinces in northeastern Algeria on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, according to the interior minister and civil protection authorities. The death toll rose sharply from initial reports of two fatalities as the scale of the disaster became clear, with more than 150 fires breaking out across the country in a single day.

Five people died in Jijel province, four in coastal Bejaia province — roughly 300 kilometres east of the capital Algiers — and three in Tizi Ouzou province, Interior Minister Said Sayoud announced on national television. Among the dead in Bejaia were an eight-year-old boy and a 22-year-old woman. A further 54 people were receiving hospital treatment for burns, including six in serious condition. Residents in Bejaia and Jijel were evacuated as firefighters battled 69 active blazes as of Wednesday evening, driven by strong winds. Three major national highways connecting cities in the east of the country, including those near Bejaia, Jijel and Setif, were closed due to the fires. Footage from local media showed panicked residents sheltering in a post office as thick smoke engulfed the surrounding area.

The interior and health ministers both travelled to Bejaia to assess firefighting operations and the condition of the injured, the official APS news agency reported. Civil protection authorities said significant resources had been deployed to combat the blazes.

Northern Algeria is no stranger to summer wildfires, but the pattern is worsening. In July 2023, fires around the Bejaia area killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of hectares of forests, farmland and hundreds of homes. Authorities recorded nearly 2,000 fires nationwide in July of this year alone, and in late July more than 100 residents were temporarily displaced in Annaba province after fires damaged nearly 150 homes. Investigations into the fires frequently result in arson arrests; four people in Constantine province are currently in pre-trial detention in connection with the July blazes.

Climate scientists and Algerian authorities have noted that climate change is intensifying the conditions that fuel such disasters, driving more frequent droughts and extreme heat across the region. With fewer than a third of Wednesday's fires still burning by late evening, the immediate crisis appeared to be easing — but the broader threat to Algeria's northern communities each summer continues to grow.