Chefchaouen in north Morocco has been suffering from raging forest fires since Tuesday, resulting in massive property losses as rescue and firefighting operations deal with difficult terrain. In recent days, residents have been living in fear and have tried as much as they can to protect their town. "We lost almost everything: our properties, farms and trees. The civil defense teams had great difficulty reaching us, and it was the neighbors and villagers who rushed to our aid. The fire put our lives in danger. We tried to save as much as we could, but still lost a large amount of livestock and crops. At the last moment, we evacuated the residents and kept them away from the flames. Thank god, there were no casualties. However, the fire did leave us with great and profound suffering," said Zakaria, a local resident. Although more help is on the way, firefighters are still having a hard time putting the fire under control. "For the residents, what happened is a real tragedy, which is very difficult for us. We lost our belongings, almost everything -- the forest, trees and olive groves, which are the region's main agricultural products. Everything has been damaged. The villagers from Tanaqoub, Souk El Had and Bab Taza in Chefchaouen should unite and help each other," said Abdelmalek, another local resident. The local authorities have warned people to stay cautious, as well as provided emergency shelters to those displaced. "The fire ravaging north Morocco are due to several factors, including dense vegetation, high population density, high temperatures and strong winds. They contribute to the rapid spread of fire. The authorities have immediately dispatched emergency rescuers to extinguish the fires, as well as provided assistance, help and shelters to residents who have lost their homes. We hope to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible. Furthermore, I must point out that thanks to the authorities' efforts, we have seen a significant decrease in the number and severity of fire this year compared to previous years," said Abdelrahim El Houmi, Director General of Moroccan National Agency for Water and Forests. If the strong winds continue, the battle to extinguish the blazes could last for a few more days. SHOTLIST: Chefchaouen, Morocco - Recent 1. Various of smoke rising from forests; 2. Trees ravaged by fire; 3. Neighborhood nearby; 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic, dubbed in French) Zakaria, local resident (full name not given): "We lost almost everything: our properties, farms and trees. The civil defense teams had great difficulty reaching us, and it was the neighbors and villagers who rushed to our aid. The fire put our lives in danger. We tried to save as much as we could, but still lost a large amount of livestock and crops. At the last moment, we evacuated the residents and kept them away from the flames. Thank god, there were no casualties. However, the fire did leave us with great and profound suffering."; 5. Tree in flames; 6. Various of fire truck; 7. Various of smoke rising from forests; 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic, dubbed in French) Abdelmalek, local resident (full name not given): "For the residents, what happened is a real tragedy, which is very difficult for us. We lost our belongings, almost everything -- the forest, trees and olive groves, which are the region's main agricultural products. Everything has been damaged. The villagers from Tanaqoub, Souk El Had and Bab Taza in Chefchaouen should unite and help each other."; 9. Various of rescuers; 10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic, dubbed in French) Abdelrahim El Houmi, Director General, Moroccan National Agency for Water and Forests (partially overlaid with shot 11): "The fire ravaging north Morocco are due to several factors, including dense vegetation, high population density, high temperatures and strong winds. They contribute to the rapid spread of fire. The authorities have immediately dispatched emergency rescuers to extinguish the fires, as well as provided assistance, help and shelters to residents who have lost their homes. We hope to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible. Furthermore, I must point out that thanks to the authorities' efforts, we have seen a significant decrease in the number and severity of fire this year compared to previous years."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 11. Smoke rising from forests; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 12. Various of smoke rising from forests. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]