Algerian authorities said on Wednesday that firefighters were battling 19 wildfires across 10 provinces as the country grappled with an intense heat wave, while electricity was fully restored to 16 provinces hit by a widespread blackout.
The General Directorate of Civil Protection said 139 fires had been reported since Tuesday. Firefighters have extinguished 120 of them, while efforts continue to contain the remaining blazes in 10 provinces, including Setif, Bejaia and Saida.
The agency said military aircraft had been deployed to support firefighting operations by dropping water on affected areas.
The fires killed one person and seriously injured another in Setif on Tuesday.
Power restored after blackout
Energy and Renewable Energy Minister Mourad Adjal said electricity had been fully restored in the 16 provinces affected by Tuesday night's outage.
He said the blackout was caused by a technical malfunction at an electrical facility in the Sidi Okba area of Biskra Province after extreme heat and high humidity triggered cascading power fluctuations.
On Monday, Algeria recorded its highest-ever electricity demand of 21,870 megawatts as the heat wave intensified across much of the country.
State-owned utility Sonelgaz said the new peak exceeded Sunday's previous record of 21,120 megawatts by 750 megawatts.
Heat wave fuels wildfire risk
Algeria's national meteorological service expects the heat wave to continue through Friday, with temperatures reaching up to 49C (120.2F) in desert regions and exceeding 45C (113F) in parts of the Mediterranean coast.
Algeria has experienced recurring droughts and rising temperatures in recent years, increasing the risk of forest and vegetation fires.
Major wildfires in recent years have killed and injured dozens of people and destroyed vast areas of vegetation, prompting authorities to introduce tougher penalties, including prison sentences of up to 30 years, for those found responsible for starting fires.
