Tunis, Aug 29 (IANS): Ten wildfires have erupted in five Tunisian provinces in 24 hours, forcing the evacuation of 11 families, the Tunisian civil protection services has said.

"These wildfires broke out in Jendouba and Beja provinces in northwestern Tunisia, in Bizerte in the north, in the central province of Kairouan and in Ariana province in grand Tunis," local radio station Mosaique FM quoted Spokesman for Civil Protection Moez Triaa as saying Monday.

Triaa stated that civil protection units are actively engaged to rapidly contain the fires and safeguard populated areas. The extent of the damages remains to be assessed, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the province of Jendouba, the fires "spread widely and destroyed a large area of the forests", said the Tunisian official, adding that these fires posed a threat to residential areas, prompting 11 families to evacuate.

The fires were likely caused by the hot, dry weather that has swept across Tunisia in recent days. Temperatures have reached as high as 50 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.