Big fire in Tenerife: 'Feels like hell'

Forest fire rages on holiday island: Out of control  

Anna Sjogren

 

Published 2023-08-17 19:59  

 

A powerful forest fire is raging on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife. 

 

Several villages and roads have been closed and authorities classify the fire as an "infoca 2" – the second highest threat level.  

 

- It feels like hell, says a resident on the island. 

 

Quick version  

 

* An extensive forest fire is underway on the holiday island of Tenerife in Spain. The fire is classified as an "infoca 2", which is the second highest threat level. 

 

* The fire, which started in a nature reserve, has led to the closure of several villages and roads.  

 

* 250 firefighters and military personnel are working to extinguish the fire, and more resources are expected from mainland Spain. 

 

* No buildings have been damaged so far, but five villages have been evacuated.   

 

The fire broke out late Tuesday in a nature reserve on the north-eastern side of the island.  

 

250 firefighters and military personnel have been deployed to fight the fire, but despite this, the fire has continued to spread. During Wednesday, it burned on an area of 22 kilometers in circumference, according to local media.  

 

The authorities classify the fire as an infoca 2, which is the second highest threat level.  

 

- The fire is out of control, the scenario is not very positive, says Fernando Clavijo, regional president.  

 

Images show flames shooting up from the nature reserve and gray smoke covering the sky like a thick blanket. Local authorities have closed several roads to the park.  

 

Photo: DESIREE MARTIN / AFP  

People and animals are evacuated  

 

So far, the fire has not reached settlements, but already five villages have been evacuated for both people and animals. 

 

Villagers testify to how explosive the fire is. 

 

 - When I went out, the fire was already very close to my house, I immediately understood that we needed to evacuate, says Jenifer Santos to El Dia, a cheese entrepreneur who was forced to flee with her goats and dogs from the village of Arafo earlier this week. 

 

During Thursday, it was announced that three more villages are to be evacuated as the fire spreads.  

 

According to the authorities, the fire is very difficult to extinguish. The forest terrain surrounding the volcano Teide - Spain's highest mountain - is very steep and according to Rosa Davila, local politician, the fire must be extinguished from the air.  

 

Flights called in from the mainland  

 

According to the emergency services, several side fires have also broken out in the wake of the large fire.  

 

13 helicopters and airplanes have been deployed to waterbomb the area and during Thursday more flights are expected to arrive from mainland Spain.  

 

According to local media, the extinguishing work is further complicated by the recent heat wave in the Canary Islands, according to local residents, there have been temperatures of 37 degrees. 

 

The ground is dry and the high fire temperatures mean that much of the water turns to steam before or at the same moment it reaches the fire. There is great concern that the fire will reach populated areas.  

 

- This feels like hell, between the fire and the heat wave. 

 

I hope they can get the fire under control so it doesn't come down to the areas that are more populated. This is really terrible, says a resident to El Dia.