Sanaa: Tunisian firefighting teams have successfully contained a wildfire that scorched more than 30 hectares (74 acres) of forest in the northwestern province of Jendouba, which damaged homes and resulted in the loss of livestock.

According to Anadolu Agency, firefighting crews from the Civil Protection Authority, the Forestry Department, and the military, alongside volunteers, managed to extinguish the blaze that ignited on Tuesday evening in the Fernana and Balta-Bou Aouane districts. The fire inflicted damage on multiple homes, burned over 30 hectares of forest, killed livestock, and destroyed amounts of dry fodder and firewood.

Residents reported that the flames extended to various villages, including Oued El Tout, Chagher, Sidi Hmida, and Chawaoula, near the Bouhertma Dam, an area familiar with recurrent wildfires. They characterized this blaze as one of the largest in recent years based on the area affected and the extent of the damage.

Footage broadcast by Tunisian state television displayed a military aircraft aiding firefighting efforts by releasing water to contain the spread of the flames. On Tuesday, Mohsen Bougazala, head of operations continuity at Tunisia's Civil Protection Authority, confirmed that firefighting teams had entirely contained recent forest fires across four provinces.

In an interview with private radio station Diwan FM, Bougazala mentioned that all fires had transitioned into a monitoring phase following extinguishing and cooling operations, with emergency crews on alert to prevent any flare-ups. He noted that the most significant fire erupted on July 11 in Jebel Echahma in the Zaghouan governorate, with additional fires reported in the Siliana, Beja, and Kef governorates.

Preliminary assessments suggest that the Jebel Echahma wildfire alone affected over 400 hectares (988 acres), with full field evaluations still pending. Tunisia has been grappling with an intense heat wave in recent days, leading to repeated warnings from civil protection authorities. Officials emphasize that record temperatures, drought conditions, and hot winds have considerably heightened the risk of rapidly spreading wildfires.