Algerian emergency crews were battling 64 active wildfires across 10 provinces on Friday, with the northeastern province of Jijel facing the largest concentration of blazes as the official death toll remained at 12.

Algeria's Civil Protection said 174 vegetation and agricultural fires were recorded between Thursday and 7am on Friday, of which 110 had been extinguished. Twenty fires remained active in Jijel, 14 in Skikda and 10 in El Tarf.

Other active fires were reported in Guelma, Annaba, Béjaïa, Bouira, Tébessa, Constantine and Mila.

The latest figures mark a fresh escalation in the number of fires being tackled after days of extreme heat and destructive blazes across northeastern Algeria.

The official death toll stood at 12. Interior Minister Said Sayoud said five people were killed in Jijel, four in Béjaïa and three in Tizi Ouzou. Fifty-four people suffered burns, including six who were in a critical condition, according to officials.

Unverified reports circulating on social media on Friday suggested that the number of deaths could be higher, particularly in Jijel. Some pages associated with hospitals in the province published death notices, but no updated overall toll had been confirmed by Algerian authorities by Friday morning.

Civil Protection said substantial aerial resources had been deployed to the worst affected areas.

In Jijel, two Algerian military BE-200 firefighting aircraft and four AT-802 aircraft were involved in operations. Military Mi-26 helicopters and AT-802 aircraft were also deployed in Annaba, while two Mi-26 helicopters were supporting crews in Béjaïa.

Sayoud travelled to Jijel on Thursday on the instructions of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to oversee the response and assess the condition of people injured in the fires, according to the official Algeria Press Service.

Tebboune subsequently declared three days of national mourning for those killed.

Residents have been evacuated from some threatened communities. Earlier images from Jijel showed people sheltering inside a post office as heavy smoke spread through populated areas, while several major roads were disrupted by the fires.

The fires have coincided with severe summer heat across Algeria and neighbouring parts of North Africa. Algeria recorded nearly 2,000 fires nationwide in July alone, according to figures cited by AFP.

Egypt expressed solidarity with Algeria on Friday, offering condolences to the families of those killed and wishing the injured a speedy recovery. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Cairo stood with Algeria as it confronted the human and material losses caused by the fires.

As of 7am Friday, firefighting operations were continuing in all 10 provinces where active fires remained, with Jijel accounting for nearly a third of the 64 unresolved blazes.