Forest fire in Tenerife out of control, residents evacuated

Firefighters battle a raging wildfire on the island of Tenerife. Credit: Borja Suárez/Reuters

A fire broke out in the mountains of a national park on the Spanish island of Tenerife on Wednesday, spreading to 1,800 hectares (4,450 acres) in 24 hours as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze in difficult terrain.

The perimeter of the fire has expanded to 14 miles through dry forest covering both sides of steep gorges near Mount Teide — Spain's highest peak — making it difficult to access the area.

«The fire is out of control … the forecast is unfavorable «, — said the head of the region, Fernando Clavijo said this at a press conference in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife.

“Our goal for tonight is defense so that the fire does not continue its advance. We will carry out operations to protect the property of residents.”

Authorities deployed 14 aircraft and a total of 250 firefighters and military personnel. The jetliner arrived from the mainland Wednesday afternoon, with two more expected Thursday morning.

Vicky Palma, adviser to the Tenerife Council for Forest Fires, told Canarias Radio that the expected temperature drop to around 20°C during the night is likely to increase wind strength in the area.

Pedro Martinez, island emergency head of service , said: «We do not rule out that tomorrow we will again see intense fire activity.»

Rosa Davila, head of the Tenerife council, said that all the exits to the mountains on the island, including the beloved mountain of Teide, was closed. “We are doing this to prevent any incidents,” she said.

Radio Canaria said that about 150 people have been evacuated so far from half a dozen villages in a sparsely populated area in the northeast of the island, consisting mainly of farms and holiday homes.

Smoke fills the sky in Candelaria, Tenerife, as firefighters watch. Photo: Andrés Gutiérrez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. the most vulnerable dogs and dogs with respiratory illnesses so that they are not affected by the smoke.

Tenerife's two airports were operating as normal, the public broadcaster added, citing the Spanish airport operator Aena.

On Last week, heat waves in the Canary Islands left many areas dry, raising the risk of wildfires. This summer, firefighters put out a series of wildfires on the islands of Gran Canaria and La Palma, part of the Canary Islands archipelago.

Europe is grappling with the effects of scorching temperatures reaching alarming levels. global level exacerbated by climate change.