In 2025, 418 fires had ravaged more than 1,700 hectares
Device : The National Water and Forests Agency (ANEF) has mobilized a global budget of 150 million dirhams dedicated to the prevention and fight against forest fires. The year 2025 recorded 418 forest fires, affecting a total area of 1,728 hectares. The Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region alone concentrated 40% of fire outbreaks and 89% of the area burned at the national level. The details.
The national steering committee responsible for preventing and fighting forest fires met in Rabat, at the headquarters of the National Water and Forests Agency (ANEF), under the chairmanship of Abderrahim Houmy, director general of the Agency. This meeting was devoted to the presentation of the results of forest fires recorded in 2025 and the examination of the measures to be strengthened for the 2026 summer season. With a view to the 2026 campaign, marked by abundant and highly flammable plant biomass following recent precipitation, ANEF has mobilized a global budget of 150 million dirhams dedicated to the prevention and fight against fires. This program covers a set of actions, including the maintenance of fire trenches, the development of water points, the opening and rehabilitation of forest trails, the implementation of preventive silviculture, as well as the strengthening of human and material intervention resources. At the same time, the Agency is continuing its awareness-raising efforts, taking into account the fact that the vast majority of fires are of human origin. Several campaigns were organized in 2025, notably on the occasion of national forest fire awareness day. These campaigns reached nearly 35,000 people through actions carried out in schools and forest areas. It is also important to point out that ANEF regularly distributes fire risk bulletins with the aim of strengthening vigilance and anticipation.
418 fires in 2025
The results for the year 2025 show 418 fires covering a total area of 1,728 hectares, of which 33% consisted of shrub and herbaceous formations. Remember that in 2024, 382 fires were recorded, affecting a total area of 874 hectares. ANEF points out that this area represents a significant drop of 65% compared to the average of the last ten years, reflecting the effectiveness of joint prevention and intervention efforts. Despite this generally favorable trend, the pressure remained particularly marked in the north of the Kingdom and more particularly in the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, which alone concentrated 40% of fire outbreaks and 89% of the area burned at the national level. Thanks to the coordinated mobilization of the various stakeholders, 94% of the fires were brought under control before reaching 5 hectares. However, two major fires that occurred in August in the province of Chefchaouen exceeded 100 hectares, totaling 859 and 280 hectares burned respectively. The year 2025 was also marked by critical episodes, notably in June with several fire outbreaks recorded in less than 24 hours, as well as in August during an exceptional heat wave which favored large-scale simultaneous fires in the north of the country.
These situations confirm the increasing sensitivity of forest ecosystems to climatic hazards. It is important to note that in a context marked by increasing pressure on forest ecosystems, the national forest domain remains exposed to multiple risk factors likely to increase the probability of fires breaking out. Like other Mediterranean ecosystems, Moroccan forests present increased vulnerability in the summer period, due to several factors, namely rising temperatures as well as the frequency of dry and hot “chergui” type winds, favoring the rapid spread of fires. On the scale of the Mediterranean basin, the year 2025 was particularly notable, with forest areas affected by fires reaching high levels in several countries, notably in Spain and Portugal. Despite this unfavorable climatic context, Morocco was able to contain the impact of the fires thanks to sustained mobilization and effective coordination between the various actors concerned, in particular the Ministry of the Interior, ANEF, local authorities, Civil Protection, the Royal Gendarmerie, the Royal Air Forces, the Royal Armed Forces, and the Auxiliary Forces.
As every year, ANEF calls for vigilance to all citizens and all users of forest areas (campers, breeders, beekeepers, hikers, etc.) to avoid the use of fire in forest areas during the summer season and to alert the competent authorities of any smoke or outbreak of fire and any other indication that could cause a fire.
