The fire that broke out on Saturday in the Mediouna forest in Tangier continues to devastate several hectares despite the intervention of the High Commission for Water and Forests and Combating Desertification (HCEFLCD). «Operations are still going on this morning. There are very houses that may start the fire again. That is why we need to ensure that it is completely under control,» said Fouad Assali, head of forest protection at the HCEFLCD, who was contacted by Yabiladi on Tuesday. «There is a strict fire control protocol and we should never leave the area until the fire is declared controlled. The current blaze is limited but not yet declared controlled. We are currently dealing with the last outbreaks and we are still vigilant as the fire could break out again, because of the wind that is likely to revive it.» According to him, current statistics suggest that 235 hectares were destroyed since Saturday. 550 firefighters, auxiliary forces from the HCEFLCD, the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie and local authorities have been mobilized since Saturday to control the blaze, equipped by technical devices, and five «Canadair». Excessive heat and wind have made difficult for firefighters to control the massive blaze that is destroying a forest mainly composed of pines, the HCEFLCD said in a statement reported by Map.
