Tunisia reports 900 fires during severe heatwave

At least 900 fires broke out in Tunisia over a 72-hour period as the country faced intense heat, a senior civil protection official said Friday.

Khalil Mechri said most of the fires recorded between July 20 and July 22 had been put out, but two major fires were still burning. He said the fires included forest fires as well as blazes affecting brushland, crops and houses. He did not give details on all areas affected.

The fires coincided with exceptional heat. Tunisia's National Institute of Meteorology said temperatures on Tuesday ranged from 40C to 49C, depending on the region. It said those temperatures were eight to 14 degrees above seasonal averages.

The country is also facing daily planned power cuts intended to reduce pressure on the electricity grid.

Mechri said the heatwave followed an especially rainy winter, leaving an unusually large amount of dry vegetation that contributed to the fires.

Firefighters were still working on two major fires. One was in the northwestern region of Sakiet Sidi Youssef, where an AFP journalist reported seeing thick black smoke rising from the mountains.

Local media quoted Tunisia's director general of forests as saying about 4,400 hectares of forestland burned between May 1 and July 23. That compared with 2,705 hectares in the same period last year. The official was quoted as blaming the fires mainly on negligence or criminal acts, along with extreme heat.