Morocco's National Agency for Water and Forests has reported that 310 forest fires were recorded nationwide between the beginning of the year and July 20, burning an estimated 1,850 hectares. According to the agency's latest figures, the affected area included 832 hectares of forested land and nearly 1,018 hectares of secondary vegetation and grassland. The data show that although the number of fires increased by nearly 32 percent, from a 10-year average of 233 fires to 310, the total area burned declined by around 30 percent, falling from an average of 2,660 hectares to just 1,850 hectares. The agency said this reflects the effectiveness of the country's wildfire prevention and response system. The agency attributed the rise in the number of fires to two main factors. The first was the dense growth of grassland following exceptionally heavy rainfall during last winter. The second was a series of heatwaves at the end of May and the beginning of July, which accelerated the drying of vegetation, making it significantly more susceptible to fire. The agency added that the marked decline in the total area burned demonstrates the effectiveness of the prevention and response system implemented by the relevant authorities, led by the Ministry of the Interior, the National Agency for Water and Forests, the General Directorate of Civil Protection, the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, the Royal Air Force, the Auxiliary Forces, and local authorities. It noted that rapid detection, early reporting, and coordinated field operations enabled authorities to contain the vast majority of fires in their initial stages before they could spread, explaining why the country recorded more fires while significantly reducing the total area affected. Regionally, Souss-Massa recorded the largest burned area, with a total of 600 hectares, followed by Beni Mellal-Khénifra with 410 hectares. Marrakesh-Safi ranked third, with approximately 205 hectares affected by the fires.
