Algerian forest fires that killed 38 brought under control

Death toll includes 12 people who died when a bus was engulfed in flames

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  Forest fires have intensified amid a heatwave in northern Algeria, claiming lives and destroying homes and vehicles. Getty Images

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  A burnt-out car in El Tarf district. Getty Images

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  An amusement park in El Tarf was destroyed. Getty Images

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  Charred fairground rides. Getty Images

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  A burnt bus after wildfires El Tarf. Getty Images

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  This man's home was destroyed in El Kala. AFP

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  Checking the damage at the El Kala home. AFP

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  An elderly woman's house was left in ruins. AFP

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  The fires have been made worse by drought. AFP

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  Charred seats where bus passengers once sat. AP Photo

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  Bare branches in a burnt forest in El Kala. AFP

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  Smoke billows in Souarekh. AFP

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  Fires have ravaged 14 districts of northern Algeria. Reuters

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  Burnt woodland after wildfires in El Tarf. Getty Images

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  A bus beyond repair in El Kala. Reuters

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  The aftermath of a wildfire in Setif. Getty

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  Temperatures had exceeded 47°C when numerous blazes broke out.

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  Interior Minister Kemal Belcud said forest fires had broken out in 106 locations since the beginning of August.

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  Fire vehicles sent to tackle the blaze at Setif.

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  Firefighters examine the site of the Setif wildfire.

Forest fires in Algeria that killed at least 38 people have been brought under control, officials have said.

Firefighters on Thursday extinguished a string of blazes, with more than 100 wildfires reported this month.

Victims included 12 people who died in a bus that was trapped by flames.

Wildfires are frequent during this time of the year in Algeria.

Climate change has caused summer temperatures to reach 48°C degrees Celsius in some areas.

These include the north-eastern province of El Tarf, on the border with Tunisia, where most of the casualties were recorded.

About 350 people there were moved to safety, with 50 people taken to hospital in El Tarf city, which has a population of about 100,000, Ennahar TV reported.

At least 200 people suffered from burns or respiratory issues as a result of this week's fires, Algerian media reported.

Algeria's fire service says it deployed 1,700 personnel fight the flames in various areas.

Civilians were involved in the effort too.

An animal park worker said staff there had helped families to safety as the flames closed in.

“We had to wait three hours for the help to arrive,” Hakim Bouachiha, a security worker, said.

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  Forest fires have intensified amid a heatwave in northern Algeria, claiming lives and destroying homes and vehicles. Getty Images

• 

  A burnt-out car in El Tarf district. Getty Images

• 

  An amusement park in El Tarf was destroyed. Getty Images

• 

  Charred fairground rides. Getty Images

• 

  A burnt bus after wildfires El Tarf. Getty Images

• 

  This man's home was destroyed in El Kala. AFP

• 

  Checking the damage at the El Kala home. AFP

• 

  An elderly woman's house was left in ruins. AFP

• 

  The fires have been made worse by drought. AFP

• 

  Charred seats where bus passengers once sat. AP Photo

• 

  Bare branches in a burnt forest in El Kala. AFP

• 

  Smoke billows in Souarekh. AFP

• 

  Fires have ravaged 14 districts of northern Algeria. Reuters

• 

  Burnt woodland after wildfires in El Tarf. Getty Images

• 

  A bus beyond repair in El Kala. Reuters

• 

  The aftermath of a wildfire in Setif. Getty

• 

  Temperatures had exceeded 47°C when numerous blazes broke out.

• 

  Interior Minister Kemal Belcud said forest fires had broken out in 106 locations since the beginning of August.

• 

  Fire vehicles sent to tackle the blaze at Setif.

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  Firefighters examine the site of the Setif wildfire.

Farmers said some of their livestock were killed by the flames.

“My livestock are lost, as is the food for them. I'm not telling you about the other things I lost but I lost everything. Really, I have nothing left,” local farmer Ali Gharsi said.

Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane said most of the victims were “vacationers who came to enjoy the paradisiacal beaches and enchanting landscapes” of the country.

The government will help support those who have lost loved ones and sources of livelihood, an official said.

Last year, fires killed at least 90 people and destroyed some 100,000 hectares of forest in farmland in northern Algeria.