The National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) has released its forest fire assessment for Morocco since the beginning of 2026. Between Jan. 1 and July 20, the country recorded 310 forest fires, affecting a total of 1,850 hectares, an average of 5.9 hectares per fire. Of the total burned area, 832 hectares, or 45%, consisted of forest stands, while about 1,018 hectares, or 55%, were secondary vegetation and herbaceous formations.
Compared with the 10-year average for the same period, the figures show two contrasting trends. The number of fires increased by nearly 32%, compared with a decade average of 233 fires. However, the total burned area fell by around 30% from the 10-year average of 2,660 hectares.
According to the ANEF, the rise in the number of fires is linked to two factors. Exceptionally high rainfall during the previous winter encouraged the growth of abundant herbaceous vegetation, while heatwaves in late May and early July accelerated its drying, making it more susceptible to fire.
The reduction in burned areas reflects the effectiveness of the prevention and firefighting strategy implemented 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. Rapid detection and intervention enabled most fires to be contained before they spread significantly.
Regional fire distribution
Souss-Massa recorded the largest burned area nationwide, with 600 hectares affected. It was followed by Béni Mellal-Khénifra with 410 hectares, while Marrakech-Safi ranked third with about 205 hectares burned.
In terms of frequency, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima recorded the highest number of forest fires, with 80 and 70 incidents respectively as of July 20, 2026. According to the ANEF, these figures reflect greater human pressure on forest cover in the two regions.
Fires recorded between July 13 and 19
Morocco recorded 20 forest fires nationwide during the week of July 13-19, burning a total of 670 hectares, mainly across three major fire zones.
The Taroudant fire in Inaouene and the El Haouz fire in Ijoukak burned a combined 403 hectares. Both started on July 15 and were fully contained on July 20.
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The fire in Lakssiba, Béni Mellal, burned 170 hectares after breaking out on July 16 and was 100% contained by July 18.
The Afourar fire in Azilal burned 85 hectares. It started on July 17 and was 90% contained as of July 20.
Comparison with Mediterranean countries
At the Mediterranean level, Morocco continues to record the lowest ratio of burned area relative to its total forest area, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
EFFIS data show that significantly larger areas have been affected by wildfires this year in other Mediterranean countries, with Spain recording 104,476 hectares burned, Portugal 29,224 hectares, France 42,178 hectares and Italy 20,291 hectares.
According to the ANEF, the comparison highlights the effectiveness of Morocco’s forest fire prevention and management model in a region experiencing a widespread increase in wildfires linked to climate change.
The agency said its monitoring and emergency response system is currently operating at maximum capacity. It added that the coming weeks, as well as August and September, remain periods of very high wildfire risk due to the persistence of hot and dry weather conditions.
