A forest fire that broke out on Wednesday in a national park on the Spanish island of Tenerife has already destroyed 1,800 hectares in 24 hours. Reuters.
The perimeter of the fire has expanded by 22 kilometers with dry forest covering both sides of steep gorges near Mount Teide, the highest peak in Spain, making access to the area difficult.
“The fire is out of control… the outlook is not good,” regional leader Fernando Clavijo said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
14 air assets and a total of 250 firefighters and soldiers were mobilized. A seaplane was dispatched from the mainland early this morning to fight the flames, with two more expected this Thursday.
This was announced by the adviser for forest fires of the city council of Tenerife, Vicki Palma. canarian radio that a predicted drop in nighttime temperatures to around 20 degrees Celsius is likely to increase wind strength in the area.
The head of the island’s emergency services, Pedro Martinez, does not rule out the possibility of an escalation of “fire activity” this Thursday.
Rosa Davila, head of Tenerife’s council, said that all access to the island’s mountains, including Mount Teide, is closed “in order to avoid any incidents.”
In accordance with canarian radio Around 150 people have been evacuated from villages in the island’s sparsely populated northeast, made up mostly of farms and holiday homes, according to Reuters.
The dog shelter also said they have proactively removed some of their most vulnerable dogs and dogs with respiratory illnesses so they are not affected by the smoke.