<p>The wildfire on Spain's Tenerife island that forced thousands of people to flee was started deliberately, said the&nbsp;authorities, as reported by The Guardian.</p>

<p>Tenerife is the largest of Spain's Canary Islands. On Sunday (August 20), Canary Island regional president Fernando Clavijo said it was confirmed by the police that the fires raging on the Spanish island since last week had been deliberately lit. He said that three separate lines of inquiry were opened.</p>

<p>The island's governor Rosa Davila said in a news conference that more than 12,000 people had been evacuated.</p>

<p>The fires started on Wednesday (August 16) in mountainous national park around the Mount Teide volcano. It is Spain's highest peak.</p>

<p>Tenerife is a popular tourist destination and areas frequented by tourists are so far unaffected. The island's two airports are operating normally.</p>

<p>Scorching heat and dry weather this summer have contributed to unusually severe wildfires in Europe, including in Spain's La Palma island in July, and Canada.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier this month, wildfires on Hawaii's Maui island led to the deaths of more than 110 people. It damaged the historic resort city of Lahaina.</p>

<p>In Tenerife, the fires had burned more than 8,400 hectares of forest by Saturday night. The island's governor said that the figure was likely to be much higher as fires have not been brought under control.</p>

<p>The wildfires are being touted as the worst in decades for Tenerife Island. Though they have not caused any casualties so far, the flames are still threatening 11 townships. The mountainous region is making it hard for firefighters to control the flames.</p>

<p>Spain has become Europe's worst affected nation by wildfires. It has accounted for 40 per cent of land scorched by wildfires in the continent.</p>

<p>Weather conditions overnight were "better than expected" Tenerife's fire brigade said on Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter.</p>

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The wildfire on Spain's Tenerife island that forced thousands of people to flee was started deliberately, said the authorities, as reported by The Guardian. Tenerife is the largest of Spain's Canary Islands.

The wildfire on Spain's Tenerife island that forced thousands of people to flee was started deliberately, said the authorities, as reported by The Guardian. Tenerife is the largest of Spain's Canary Islands. On Sunday (August 20), Canary Island regional president Fernando Clavijo said it was confirmed by the police that the fires raging on the Spanish island since last week had been deliberately lit. He said that three separate lines of inquiry were opened. The island's governor Rosa Davila said in a news conference that more than 12,000 people had been evacuated. The fires started on Wednesday (August 16) in mountainous national park around the Mount Teide volcano. It is Spain's highest peak. Tenerife is a popular tourist destination and areas frequented by tourists are so far unaffected. The island's two airports are operating normally. Scorching heat and dry weather this summer have contributed to unusually severe wildfires in Europe, including in Spain's La Palma island in July, and Canada. Earlier this month, wildfires on Hawaii's Maui island led to the deaths of more than 110 people. It damaged the historic resort city of Lahaina. In Tenerife, the fires had burned more than 8,400 hectares of forest by Saturday night. The island's governor said that the figure was likely to be much higher as fires have not been brought under control. The wildfires are being touted as the worst in decades for Tenerife Island. Though they have not caused any casualties so far, the flames are still threatening 11 townships. The mountainous region is making it hard for firefighters to control the flames. Spain has become Europe's worst affected nation by wildfires. It has accounted for 40 per cent of land scorched by wildfires in the continent. Weather conditions overnight were "better than expected" Tenerife's fire brigade said on Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Tenerife island wildfire was started deliberately, says regional governor

In pics | Wildfires in Spain's Tenerife prompt evacuations of over 26,000 people

<p>More than 26,000 people were evacuated from their homes on the Spanish island of Tenerife, as of Saturday (August 19) as the wildfire continued to rage out of control, said the emergency services. The local officials said that the Spanish holiday island has never witnessed a fire at this scale.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>More evacuations from Spanish island</strong></h2>

<p>As of Saturday afternoon, more than 26,000 people may have been evacuated, said the Canary Islands emergency services&nbsp;on X (formerly Twitter) citing provisional estimates. It also marks a sharp rise in evacuations after officials in an update on Friday said some 4,500 people had been evacuated since the fire began on Tuesday night.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As many as 11 towns have been affected by wildfire, said local officials, reported&nbsp;Reuters. Earlier on Saturday, Montse Roman, technical director of the emergency, said that the figures are still being collated after he said that there was no immediate update on the number of people evacuated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The emergency services official also warned about possible “further evacuations may take place if the fire spreads.” Additional evacuations were ordered on Saturday morning due to worsening weather overnight, said regional leader Fernando Clavijo, in a press conference.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some people evacuated from La Victoria, in the north-west of the island, are also receiving medical help. “The night before we arrived, we had a pretty bad time. Everything was burning... the roofs were full (of ash),” resident Paulina Fernandez told Reuters.</p>

<h2><strong>Blaze spreads overnight&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>According to media reports, fierce flames were seen overnight on Friday while helicopters were seen dropping water, the next day, on areas close to homes while smoke continued to billow in the air.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Clavijo said that a rise in temperatures and stronger winds overnight on Friday worsened the situation. He also spoke about how thick smoke was hampering efforts to extinguish the fire from air.</p>

<p>Tenerife Council President Rosa Davila told reporters that the fire was at a scale that has never been seen before in the Canary Islands. The priority was to “protect people’s lives,” said Davila, adding that none of the houses had been destroyed due to the blaze, citing the fire brigade.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So far, some 5,000 hectares have been engulfed by the wildfire with a perimeter of 50 kilometres. Pedro Martinez, one of the officials in charge of putting out the blaze said that the fire’s perimeter had “most certainly grown a lot” overnight and was “descending steadily” down the mountainside in the northern Santa Ursula area, according to AFP.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
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More than 26,000 people were evacuated from their homes on the Spanish island of Tenerife, as of Saturday (August 19) as the wildfire continued to rage out of control, said the emergency services.

More than 26,000 people were evacuated from their homes on the Spanish island of Tenerife, as of Saturday (August 19) as the wildfire continued to rage out of control, said the emergency services. The local officials said that the Spanish holiday island has never witnessed a fire at this scale. More evacuations from Spanish island As of Saturday afternoon, more than 26,000 people may have been evacuated, said the Canary Islands emergency services on X (formerly Twitter) citing provisional estimates. It also marks a sharp rise in evacuations after officials in an update on Friday said some 4,500 people had been evacuated since the fire began on Tuesday night. As many as 11 towns have been affected by wildfire, said local officials, reported Reuters. Earlier on Saturday, Montse Roman, technical director of the emergency, said that the figures are still being collated after he said that there was no immediate update on the number of people evacuated. The emergency services official also warned about possible “further evacuations may take place if the fire spreads.” Additional evacuations were ordered on Saturday morning due to worsening weather overnight, said regional leader Fernando Clavijo, in a press conference. Some people evacuated from La Victoria, in the north-west of the island, are also receiving medical help. “The night before we arrived, we had a pretty bad time. Everything was burning... the roofs were full (of ash),” resident Paulina Fernandez told Reuters. Blaze spreads overnight According to media reports, fierce flames were seen overnight on Friday while helicopters were seen dropping water, the next day, on areas close to homes while smoke continued to billow in the air. Clavijo said that a rise in temperatures and stronger winds overnight on Friday worsened the situation. He also spoke about how thick smoke was hampering efforts to extinguish the fire from air. Tenerife Council President Rosa Davila told reporters that the fire was at a scale that has never been seen before in the Canary Islands. The priority was to “protect people’s lives,” said Davila, adding that none of the houses had been destroyed due to the blaze, citing the fire brigade. So far, some 5,000 hectares have been engulfed by the wildfire with a perimeter of 50 kilometres. Pedro Martinez, one of the officials in charge of putting out the blaze said that the fire’s perimeter had “most certainly grown a lot” overnight and was “descending steadily” down the mountainside in the northern Santa Ursula area, according to AFP. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

More than 26,000 people evacuated after ‘out of control’ wildfire in Spain’s Tenerife

<p>On Tenerife, one of the Spanish Canary Islands, a forest fire started on Wednesday (August 16). As quoted by news agencies, the officials said that around 250 firefighters are battling the wildfire that is raging "out of control" and has forced road closures and the evacuation of five villages.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a mountainous area, the fire is largely confined, but firefighters are battling to stop it from spreading to surrounding populated areas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But concerns have been raised because the fire is spreading. Spain's highest peak, the Mount Teide volcano, is nearby, but entry has been made difficult by the fire's perimeter, which has grown to 22 kilometres across dry woodland covering both flanks of steep ravines.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/massive-402000-acre-wildfire-threatens-canadas-yellowknife-authorities-sound-the-alarm-626228">Massive 402,000 acre wildfire threatens Canada's Yellowknife, authorities sound the alarm</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Local media reported that around 150 people have been evacuated so far from half a dozen villages in the sparsely populated area in the island's northeast, made up mostly of farms and holiday homes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Media also reported that Tenerife's two airports were operating normally.</p>

<p>Fernando Clavijo, who is the region's leader, told an evening news conference in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz: "The fire is out of control... the outlook is not positive."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Our goal for tonight is defensive so that the fire does not continue its advance. We will carry out operations to protect residents' property," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At least 14 aircraft and a combined 250 firefighters and military personnel were deployed by the authorities.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IFArafoCandelaria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IFArafoCandelaria</a> has brutal long borders. Have not yet heard about its actual size, the government has other challenges as this right now on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tenerife?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tenerife</a> <a href="https://t.co/mUQs4PdPQC">pic.twitter.com/mUQs4PdPQC</a></p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Some scary scenes coming out of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain as an out-of-control wildfire continues to grow. The fire is now exhibiting extreme fire behaviour due to very dry conditions. A mandatory evacuation is in effect for villages threatened by the wildfire. <a href="https://t.co/fE6pW0TXzm">pic.twitter.com/fE6pW0TXzm</a></p>
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) <a href="https://twitter.com/WxNB_/status/1691854919265911212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/maui-these-highly-trained-dogs-are-on-mission-to-find-wildfire-victims-626124">These highly-trained dogs are on mission to find wildfire victims</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>A Reuters report mentioned that a waterbombing seaplane arrived on Wednesday afternoon from the mainland and two others were expected on Thursday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Vicky Palma, a wildfire adviser to the Tenerife council, told Canarias Radio that the expected drop in temperatures at night to around 20 degree&nbsp;Celsius would likely increase the strength of winds in the area.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by news agencies, the island's emergency services chief Pedro Martinez said: "We don't rule out that tomorrow we'll again see intense fire activity".</p>

<p>Rosa Davila, who is the head of the Tenerife council, said all access to the mountains on the island has been closed off. "We are doing this to prevent any incidents," she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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On Tenerife, one of the Spanish Canary Islands, a forest fire started on Wednesday (August 16). As quoted by news agencies, the officials said that around 250 firefighters are battling the wildfire that is raging "out of control" and has forced road closures and the evacuation of five villages.

On Tenerife, one of the Spanish Canary Islands, a forest fire started on Wednesday (August 16). As quoted by news agencies, the officials said that around 250 firefighters are battling the wildfire that is raging "out of control" and has forced road closures and the evacuation of five villages. In a mountainous area, the fire is largely confined, but firefighters are battling to stop it from spreading to surrounding populated areas. But concerns have been raised because the fire is spreading. Spain's highest peak, the Mount Teide volcano, is nearby, but entry has been made difficult by the fire's perimeter, which has grown to 22 kilometres across dry woodland covering both flanks of steep ravines. Also read: Massive 402,000 acre wildfire threatens Canada's Yellowknife, authorities sound the alarm Local media reported that around 150 people have been evacuated so far from half a dozen villages in the sparsely populated area in the island's northeast, made up mostly of farms and holiday homes. Media also reported that Tenerife's two airports were operating normally. Fernando Clavijo, who is the region's leader, told an evening news conference in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz: "The fire is out of control... the outlook is not positive." "Our goal for tonight is defensive so that the fire does not continue its advance. We will carry out operations to protect residents' property," he added. At least 14 aircraft and a combined 250 firefighters and military personnel were deployed by the authorities. #IFArafoCandelaria has brutal long borders. Have not yet heard about its actual size, the government has other challenges as this right now on #Tenerife pic.twitter.com/mUQs4PdPQC — Roger (@efadi_LP) August 16, 2023 × Some scary scenes coming out of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain as an out-of-control wildfire continues to grow. The fire is now exhibiting extreme fire behaviour due to very dry conditions. A mandatory evacuation is in effect for villages threatened by the wildfire. pic.twitter.com/fE6pW0TXzm — Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) August 16, 2023 × Also read: These highly-trained dogs are on mission to find wildfire victims A Reuters report mentioned that a waterbombing seaplane arrived on Wednesday afternoon from the mainland and two others were expected on Thursday morning. Vicky Palma, a wildfire adviser to the Tenerife council, told Canarias Radio that the expected drop in temperatures at night to around 20 degree Celsius would likely increase the strength of winds in the area. As quoted by news agencies, the island's emergency services chief Pedro Martinez said: "We don't rule out that tomorrow we'll again see intense fire activity". Rosa Davila, who is the head of the Tenerife council, said all access to the mountains on the island has been closed off. "We are doing this to prevent any incidents," she said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Spain's Tenerife battles 'out of control' wildfire as it spreads across island's north

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