More than 26,000 people have already been forced to flee the massive fire that has raged since Tuesday on the Spanish island of Tenerife, according to preliminary estimates released today by emergency services.
The information was released by the Government of the Canary Islands on its X (formerly Twitter) social media page, stating that “according to preliminary estimates, more than 26,000 people have been evacuated.”
Since the start of the fire, the authorities have already evacuated several regions located in 11 municipalities in the south and north of Tenerife, according to the news agency Efe.
The government added that people in need of housing are referred to various shelters.
The fire, raging since Tuesday, has already destroyed an area of forest equivalent to more than 5,000 football fields (over 5,000 hectares) and forced the evacuation of several villages.
Civil Protection stated that the evacuation of settlements will continue today as a precautionary measure and recommended that self-defense measures be taken.
A new reinforcement of aviation assets and ground combat groups is planned for today and Sunday.
The air device continues to drop water, having fired more than 1,700 times since the start of the fire.
According to Spanish authorities, the fire is far from being extinguished, and intense heat, strong winds and adverse terrain make it difficult to control the flames, which have spread to the northern part of the island.
The Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands stressed that despite the fact that the fire was “absolutely exceptional and hungry”, no houses were destroyed or harmed due to the work of the operators.