The fire in Tenerife took off a week ago and is described as the worst in the Canary Islands in 40 years. Around 15,000 hectares are estimated to have been affected by the flames – corresponding to almost seven percent of the island.
According to local authorities, a total of 12,000 people have had to be evacuated. However, some of them have been able to return to their homes. There are no reports of injured people.
Considered a “disaster zone”
In recent days, the extinguishing work has nevertheless progressed thanks to good weather conditions, reports El Mundo. However, the fire continues to rage in areas with difficult-to-access terrain.
– The worst is behind us, Canary Islands regional president Fernando Clavijo said on Monday according to Reuters.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has visited Tenerife and expressed his support for those affected by the devastation. The government has announced that the fire area is to be counted as a “disaster zone”, which enables increased government support.
On Sunday, Fernando Clavijo stated that an investigation by the Civil Guard established that the fire was started intentionally. No one has been arrested at this time.
Greece hard hit
At the same time, Greece is also heavily affected by forest fires in several places. As many as 53 new fires broke out on Monday morning, according to authorities ABC News. The flames have been further spread due to gale-force winds combined with hot and dry weather.
On Tuesday, Greek emergency services announced that 18 bodies had been found in a fire-ravaged forest near the border with Turkey, writes BBC. They have not yet been identified. Earlier it was reported that a total of two people died and two were injured as a result of the fires.
The largest forest fire is raging near Alexandroupolis in northeastern Greece. Several villages in the area have been evacuated and a number of houses are said to have been destroyed. In addition, there are fires, among other things, outside the capital Athens.
The Authority for Civil Protection and Preparedness (MSB) has sent two water-scooping firefighting aircraft to Greece to assist in the extinguishing work. They left Skavsta Airport on Tuesday morning.