Italy joins Tunisia’s wildfire fight

Italy joins Tunisia’s wildfire fight

An Italian firefighting aircraft has joined efforts to contain two major wildfires in Tunisia’s western Kef province, as authorities continue a large-scale operation to prevent the flames from spreading through forested and mountainous areas.

The Italian Embassy in Tunis announced on Friday that Italy had sent a Canadair firefighting aircraft to assist Tunisian emergency teams. The aircraft collected water from the Mellegue Dam and repeatedly dropped it over areas affected by the fires, according to footage broadcast by Tunisia’s national radio.

Khalil Mechri, head of operations and monitoring at Tunisia’s Civil Protection Directorate, said firefighting teams continued their work throughout Friday evening to bring both blazes under control. He said the fires began several days earlier in Jebel Touila and Jebel Takrouna, two mountainous areas in the Kef province.

The wildfires have already scorched hundreds of hectares of forests and vegetation, Mechri told Tunisia’s state news agency TAP. Around 22 fire engines and large numbers of civil protection personnel remain engaged in the operation, while several government ministries and local authorities have provided additional equipment and logistical support.

Tunisia’s Defense Ministry has also contributed to the response by deploying military aircraft to provide aerial assistance in the firefighting operation.

The latest fires come amid a sharp rise in wildfire damage across Tunisia this summer. According to figures released by Tunisian authorities, wildfires have destroyed around 4,400 hectares (10,873 acres) of land since the beginning of May.

Mohamed Noufel Ben Haha, director general of forests at the Agriculture Ministry, said fires recorded between May 1 and July 23 had burned approximately 4,400 hectares. The figure represents a significant increase from the 2,705 hectares affected by wildfires during the same period in 2025, marking a rise of nearly 63 percent.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation as firefighters work to contain the remaining flames and protect nearby forests and communities from further damage.