Wildfires in Tenerife spread further but southern front ‘stable’

Madrid, Aug. 20, (dpa/GNA) - The forest fire in Tenerife is raging out of control despite the efforts of firefighters who have been battling the flames for four days. 

The wildfire has now consumed some 8,400 hectares of land, a considerable jump since the last figure, the Canary Islands’ regional chief Fernando Clavijo said late on Saturday evening. 

He said the good news was that the entire southern front of the fire was “very stable,” though the northern area of the fire remains a concern. 

Nonetheless, the Canarian leader dubbed the fire one of the worst in Tenerife in the last 40 years. 

More than 12,000 people have had to leave their homes in 11 different towns due to the fire in the north and north-east of the island, according to estimates by the authorities. 

Initially, the authorities had estimated that 26,000 evacuated their homes on Saturday, but the number was later revised downwards. 

No injuries or destroyed houses have been reported. Life mostly continued as normal in the tourist areas of the island, according to official information. 

Not for the 340 emergency personnel however, who continued fighting the flames on Saturday night, the region’s emergency services said. 

They said fire-fighting planes and helicopters would be deployed again Sunday morning, with 23 in operation, up from 19. 

The cause of the fire, which broke out near the small town of Arafo, remains unclear and Clavijo said an investigation has been launched. 

GNA