Dozens Die as Fires Rage Across Algeria

CAIRO - Algerian officials are blaming arsonists for setting many of the fires raging in a mountainous region east of the capital Algiers and in more than a dozen other provinces. Algerian state TV says that 65 people have been killed so far.

Fires raged Tuesday and into Wednesday in the mountainous region of Tizi Ouzou as fire crews, soldiers and ordinary residents tried to douse the flames before they spread further. Algerian media reported that at least 79 major fires were burning in at least 17 provinces of the country. While the fires reportedly began Monday, many more appeared to ignite Tuesday, prompting the country's Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud to insist that many had been set by arsonists.    He said that some experts are arguing these fires were deliberately set, what obviously would be criminal in nature because it's impossible for dozens of fires to ignite at almost the same time without some criminal hand being behind these acts.