A powerful forest fire is raging on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife. Several villages and roads have now been closed and, according to the authorities, the fire is very difficult to extinguish.
– It feels like hell, says a resident on the island.
Late on Tuesday, a fire broke out in a nature reserve on the north-eastern side of Tenerife. The fire has continued to spread even after 250 firefighters and military personnel have been deployed to fight the blaze, and authorities are classifying the fire as an “infoca 2”.
This means that a wildfire has not yet developed into a national interest, but is judged to be able to do so. It is the Spanish mainland region of Andalusia that has developed the four-degree, as the region registers tens of fires at the higher infoca levels every summer season, according to TT.
The area where the fire broke out is sparsely populated and difficult for the fire brigade to access, and according to the authorities, the fire is difficult to extinguish.
– The fire is out of control, the scenario is not immediately very positive, said regional president Fernando Clavijo on Wednesday evening according to Spanish media.
Several villages have been evacuated
The fire has so far not reached any buildings, but five villages have already been evacuated for both people and animals. During Thursday, it was announced that three more villages must be evacuated, as the fire spreads.
Local authorities have closed several roads to the park and small fires are said to have broken out alongside the larger fire, according to the emergency services in Tenerife.
According to local media, the recent heat wave makes the work of extinguishing the fires even more difficult. It is said to have had temperatures of up to 37 degrees, according to locals on the island.
Great concern
And the concern is great, among the local population, 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 one resident, writes El Dia.