Launching a campaign to prevent and combat agricultural crop fires in the southern states, organized by the General Directorate of Civil Protection

As part of its annual awareness program, the General Directorate of Civil Protection will launch a preventative campaign against agricultural fires starting April 21, 2026. This campaign will target several southern provinces, including Adrar, Timimoun, El Menia, In Salah, El Oued, Touggourt, Ouargla, and Ghardaia, coinciding with the start of the harvest season, which runs from the end of April to the beginning of May. The official launch of the campaign will take place at the Civil Protection Directorate in Timimoun, in the presence of various stakeholders and partners in the agricultural sector.

This campaign is part of the ongoing efforts by the state to protect national agricultural resources, particularly cereal crops, which are a cornerstone of food security. Civil Protection services record a significant number of agricultural fires annually, causing substantial material and economic losses and directly impacting agricultural production.

Based on an analysis of statistics recorded over the past three years, it has become clear that most of these fires are due to preventable factors, primarily the failure to adhere to preventive measures, neglect of agricultural equipment maintenance, especially harvesting machinery, the lack or absence of basic firefighting equipment, the insufficient capacity of water tanks within agricultural areas, and limited knowledge of initial firefighting techniques.

This campaign will include a comprehensive field program encompassing awareness caravans, information days, and practical workshops for farmers and investors. These workshops will provide practical demonstrations on fire prevention, the correct use of firefighting equipment, and rapid intervention methods in the event of a fire. Brochures and awareness materials containing simplified preventive guidelines will also be distributed, along with intensified media campaigns across various communication channels. The General Directorate of Civil Protection, in coordination with various partners, particularly agricultural authorities and local officials, is working to strengthen prevention mechanisms by advocating for the improvement of agricultural roads, the creation of protective barriers (buffer zones) around fields, and ensuring the availability of nearby water sources. It is also encouraging farmers to adopt safe agricultural practices that reduce the risk of fires starting and spreading.

In this context, the Civil Protection has deployed a special operational apparatus to support the harvest season. This apparatus consists of positioning mobile and nearby intervention units across agricultural areas, supported by specialized personnel and equipment, to ensure a rapid response and immediate intervention to control fires in their early stages, thus limiting their spread and reducing losses.

This campaign, in essence, aims to instill a culture of prevention among farmers and investors, and to promote a sense of collective responsibility in protecting national produce. This will contribute to reducing losses, preserving agricultural resources, supporting national food security, and mitigating the economic and environmental impacts of agricultural fires.