A raging wildfire is engulfing the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife, forcing the evacuation of approximately 3,000 people from their homes. The inferno, which broke out on Wednesday afternoon, has been raging on an area of steep ravines in the island’s north-east region that was previously ravaged by a massive wildfire in August. Firefighters, backed by six water-dropping helicopters, are engaged in a fierce battle to contain the blaze.
The regional government of Tenerife has evacuated around 2,400 people from the town of Santa Ursula and another 600 from La Orotava as a precautionary measure. Television images and videos shared on social media show smoke billowing from a hill near houses in a remote neighborhood, with helicopters dropping water to extinguish the flames. So far, popular tourist areas on the island, part of the Canaries archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, have been unaffected, and the island’s two airports have been operating normally.
Tenerife Island Scorched by Unseasonable HeatThe seat of the fire has been stabilized, and authorities are monitoring its progression to determine if residents can return to their homes in a few hours. The outbreak of the fire comes as Tenerife and its neighboring island of Gran Canaria are under a heat alert, with temperatures soaring above 30C (86F) across much of the island, a level normally seen during the peak of summer.
As a result of climate change, scientists have warned that heatwaves will become more frequent and more intense. Tenerife and the Canaries archipelago, located off the north-west coast of Africa and southwest of mainland Spain, have been bracing for unseasonable heatwaves. At their nearest point, the islands are just 100km (60 miles) from Morocco. The ongoing fire serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for climate action and the devastating impacts it can have on communities worldwide.