The forest fires in north-east Tenerife are still not under control four days after they broke out. The authorities ordered further evacuations. More than 12,000 people had to leave their homes.
Because of the forest fires in Tenerife, more people are being evacuated in the north of the Canary Island. Since the early morning, residents of six other towns have been asked to leave their homes, said Canary Islands Prime Minister Fernando Clavijo. According to official figures, more than 12,000 people have had to leave their homes.
According to official information, the flames, which have been raging since Wednesday night, have covered around 5,000 hectares of nature. According to the latest estimates, however, an area of more than 8,000 hectares is now affected. According to Clavijo and other authority spokesmen, it is probably one of the worst fires in Tenerife in the past 40 years.
Clavijo: Evacuation only as a precaution
The Canarian government spoke of a precautionary measure. High temperatures, low humidity and constantly changing winds would have driven the flames in the north of Tenerife towards the inhabited area. But the population can rest easy, according to the head of government. The spread of the fire was recently largely contained.
The regional civil defense chief Montserrat Román Casamartina also spoke of a “rather stable situation”. There are still no injuries and no destroyed houses, she explained. Emergency shelters were set up for the evacuees in gyms in several locations, but according to the media, only a few of those affected took advantage of them. Most were staying with friends or relatives, it said.
Because of the slower spread of the fire, the curfew for several thousand people in the municipality of El Rosario was lifted on Friday evening.
The places affected by the forest fires are in the northeastern half of the island.
Vacationers apparently hardly affected
According to the authorities, problems continued to be caused by the difficult-to-access terrain, the drought, the high temperatures, which should climb up to 34 degrees on Saturday, and the strong and changing winds. Firefighters speak of the most difficult conditions and a highly potent, aggressive fire.
Forest fires are more common in summer on the Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa. A fire on La Palma only destroyed several thousand hectares in July. Tenerife is the largest island of the archipelago, which is one of the most important holiday destinations in Spain.
According to the travel company TUI, there have been no restrictions on travel so far. Tourists from Germany and other countries rarely book accommodation in the north of Tenerife. Most vacation in the south.
With information from Marc Hoffmann, ARD Studio Madrid