TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Aug 19 (Reuters) – Thousands more people were evacuated from their homes on the Spanish island of Tenerife on Saturday as a forest fire raging in the north of the island continued to get out of control, but the flames so far have not had control. Avoid the main tourist areas.
Emergency services in the Canary Islands said more than 26,000 people had been evacuated on Saturday afternoon, according to provisional estimates, a sharp increase from 4,500 on Friday. Some 11 cities are now affected.
Fierce flames lit up the night sky overnight, and helicopters were seen on Saturday dropping water into areas near homes where smoke billowed into the air.
the glow burst Wednesday in a mountainous national park around the Teide volcano, Spain’s highest peak, amid hot, dry weather.
More evacuations were ordered Saturday morning due to worsening weather overnight, including rising temperatures and stronger winds, regional leader Fernando Clavijo said at a news conference.
He said the thick smoke was hampering efforts to extinguish the fire from the air.
Some 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) with a perimeter of 50 km (30 miles) have burned so far.
The fire had a scale never seen before in the Canary Islands, the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, told reporters.
(1/5)A view shows fire over the mountains in the village of La Victoria, as forest fires rage out of control on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce Purchase license rights
He said the priority was “to protect people’s lives.”
The fire has not destroyed any houses so far, he added, citing firefighters.
In La Victoria, in the northwest of the island, some people who had been evacuated were receiving medical assistance.
“The night before we arrived we had a pretty bad time. Everything was on fire… the roofs were full (of ash),” Paulina Fernández, 58, told Reuters.
One of the main concerns of many evacuees was their animals. Some were forced to leave them at home, while Reuters footage showed others leading their horses to safety.
The island’s popular tourist areas have so far not been affected and its two airports have been operating normally.
Scorching heat and dry weather this summer have contributed to unusually severe forest fires in Europe, including in Spain. la palma island in July, and Canada. burns in hawaii maui island earlier this month it killed more than 110 people and destroyed the historic resort town of Lahaina.
Scientists say climate change has led to more frequent and more powerful extreme weather events.
Reporting by Nacho Doce and Jessica Jones, Writing by Jessica Jones; edited by Clelia Oziel
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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