As temperatures hit 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) in parts of the North African country, it recorded 97 blazes across 16 provinces, fanned by strong winds, said the interior ministry. The fires killed at least 34 people, including 10 soldiers, as they raged through residential areas, the interior ministry said, revising an earlier toll of 15 dead. The interior ministry said that 7,500 firefighters and 350 firetrucks were mobilised with aerial support to fight the flames. In August 2022, massive blazes killed 37 in Algeria's northeastern El Tarf province. This was followed by the interior ministry similarly announcing the imminent acquisition of one such aircraft and the leasing of six others the following month.
