Today, the Spanish authorities have begun the process of evacuating the inhabitants of four villages on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The reason for this evacuation was a forest fire that broke out in a natural park that surrounds the famous Teide volcano. Reuters provided information about this.
The fire started on Tuesday night and quickly spread through the forested areas of the northeastern part of Tenerife, creating severe difficulties for the fire brigades fighting the fire.
Rosa Davila, Chairman of the Council of Tenerife, shared a comment on local radio: “This fire is of enormous proportions and we have requested additional resources to fight it. The main areas of the fire are located in the ‘Corona Forestal National Park, where pine trees grow in abundance. Due to the complexity of the terrain, we need the support of air assets, such as aircraft.”
According to information from Canarias Radio, specialized helicopters have repeatedly passed over the territory of the natural reserve, dumping water onto the fire. As part of the evacuation, the inhabitants of the villages of Arrate, Chivisaya, Media Montagna, and Ajafona were forced to leave their homes.
By the morning of the next day, the fire had engulfed an area of about 130 hectares of land near Spain’s highest peak, Mount Teide.
Like other regions of Southern Europe, the Canary Islands have also experienced unbelievable heat this summer. In some areas, the temperature during the day has already exceeded the 40-degree mark for several weeks. Local emergency services are warning of an increased risk of wildfires.