Tunisia-Forestry Department: “Despite recent increase in fires, interventions have been effective” [Video]

Speaking to Tunisie Numérique, Director General of Forests Mohamed Nofal Ben Haha noted that the recent period has seen an upsurge in the number of fires due to high temperatures and the length of the Eid holiday, which citizens take advantage of to spend time in the forests.

Ben Haha added that there are usually some breaches in how residents employ these spaces, impacting forests and agricultural lands and causing fires to break out. He remarked that despite the recent fire increase, their areas were restricted, and effective interventions were made to control them.

He also pointed out that some fires spread over large places, reaching dozens of hectares, and had a major impact, particularly with the speed of the winds. These fires particularly affected agricultural areas. He underscored that the Regional Committee for Disaster Response continues to work and do its part to mitigate this problem.