TUNIS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia has seen an unprecedented surge in wildfires this summer, with more than 14,000 hectares of forest destroyed between June 1 and Aug. 30, private radio station Mosaique FM reported Tuesday.
Emergency services responded to and extinguished 13,463 fires during this period, including 239 major fires in forested areas, Khalil Meshri, head of operations and follow-up at the Civil Protection Department, was quoted as saying.
Meshri said that the simultaneous outbreaks across multiple regions strained response capacities, forcing authorities to deploy personnel and equipment widely to contain the fast-spreading flames.
Mount Bargou in the southeastern part of Siliana Province was among the hardest-hit areas.
Although the blaze there had been 95 percent contained by late August, severe weather conditions, including sudden thunderstorms and strong winds, rekindled the blaze, pushing it into steep, hard-to-reach terrain.
The fire was eventually brought under control through coordinated ground and Tunisian Air Force aerial operations.
Despite extensive environmental and material damage, civil defense officials said no casualties were reported.
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