Response teams successfully contained the forest fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon in the Thanda Ifran forest, located in the commune of Izzemouren (Al Hoceima province). According to sources on the ground, the swift intervention of firefighting teams, comprising various concerned services, prevented the blaze from spreading to nearby communities. Speaking to MAP, Mohamed Babi, head of the Forest Resources Development Division at the provincial office of the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) in Al Hoceima, said the fire, which began around 2:30 p.m., destroyed approximately 3.7 hectares, including 2.2 hectares within the forest domain. He added that crews managed to contain the fire by around 9 p.m., thanks to the rapid and coordinated efforts of Civil Protection, the Water and Forests Department, the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), the Royal Gendarmerie, the Auxiliary Forces, and local authorities. Efforts are ongoing to fully extinguish remaining hotspots. The affected forest area is mainly covered by Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) and some secondary species, including Ampelodesmos mauritanicus and dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis). Babi noted that the area's rugged terrain posed additional challenges. Significant logistical resources were deployed to combat the fire, including water tankers, first-response vehicles, and equipment for extinguishing embers and preventing reignition.
