As a wildfire rages in Spain’s Canary islands, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated

As a “out of control” wildfire burned for a fourth day in Tenerife, Spain’s Canary Islands, thousands more inhabitants were forced from their homes.

The Canary Islands regional administration said that 4,000 additional individuals received evacuation orders on Saturday. These were additional to the 4,500 individuals who had to leave the island in the Atlantic, which is home to almost a million people and is also a well-liked tourist attraction, on Friday.

This number of more than 8,000 evacuees is anticipated to increase, maybe significantly.

Like the majority of mainland Spain, the Canary Islands have experienced drought for the most of the last several years. In recent years, the islands have seen rainfall that was below normal due to weather patterns that have changed as a result of climate change.

As the mainland of Spain braces for yet another heat wave, the fire breaks out. Spain’s national meteorological office warned on Saturday that temperatures will climb over the next several days and may reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in certain areas of the mainland.

In spite of a protracted drought that has officials on high alert for wildfires, Spain had a record-breaking 2022 and is already breaking new heat records.

Later, emergency services for the Canary Islands said that preliminary estimates based on the island’s census indicated that the number of evacuees “could surpass 26,000”. The agency also said that all persons in need of shelter will be referred to shelters.

Due to the hot, dry weather and strong winds that have fueled the massive flames, the regional authorities said that “the fire is beyond our capacity to extinguish it.” At least 5,000 hectares (12,355 acres) of land have been burned in the fire, but firefighters have been unable to set up a perimeter around it.

Rosa Dávila, the governor of the Canary Islands, said that she had never seen a fire of this size there.

Since the fire started late on Tuesday, no injuries have been reported.

19 aircraft, including those dispatched to aid from the mainland, and around 265 firefighters fought the wildfire. The central government said that further forces are on route.

The fire is situated on the hillsides of many communities in a high, rocky mountain environment covered with pine trees. Firefighters have very limited access.

Police are looking into the fire’s origin, according to Fernando Clavijo, the archipelago’s regional head.

The seven-island archipelago is situated southwest of mainland Spain and off the northwest coast of Africa. The islands are 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Morocco at their closest point.

A wildfire that scorched 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres) of land nearby on the island of La Palma last month forced the evacuation of almost 2,000 inhabitants.

Spain tops the list of EU nations impacted by wildfires so far this year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System, with 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) destroyed, ahead of Italy and Greece.

According to the EU agency, Spain was responsible for roughly 40% of the approximately 800,00 hectares (2 million acres) that were burnt across the European Union in 2022.