95% of Tunisia’s Wildfires Caused by Human Activity, Officials Say

Tunisia experienced extensive forest fires this summer, burning around 12,000 hectares of land across various regions. Aroussi Rbiai, Deputy Director of Forest Protection, stated that human activity is responsible for 95% of these blazes, whether intentional or accidental. Several people have been arrested in connection with starting the fires, and investigations are ongoing to determine the exact causes.

Firefighters worked tirelessly to contain major wildfires, particularly in the northwestern Kef governorate. Lieutenant Colonel Khalil al-Mashari of the Civil Protection highlighted that the fires were among the "worst in Tunisia in terms of severity and affected areas." Rescue teams moved to the mop-up phase to prevent flare-ups after successfully containing the main blazes.

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95% of the blazes have human causes.

The country faced severe conditions, including record-breaking temperatures reaching up to 49°C, fanned by desert winds that accelerated the spread of flames and complicated firefighting efforts. These intense heatwaves are increasingly contributing to the annual burning of thousands of hectares of forestland, a trend officials link to climate change.

Notable efforts included extinguishing a massive fire on Mount Nadhour in Bizerte Governorate after more than 16 hours of work. In a single 24-hour period last week, Tunisian Civil Protection units conducted 296 firefighting operations, underscoring the scale of the challenge.

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the blazes were among the “worst in Tunisia in terms of severity and affected areas.”