The worst wildfire on the Canary Islands in 40 years forces 12000 to evacuate on Tenerife

UPDATED AUGUST 19

More than 12,000 people have been evacuated due to the forest fire situation in Tenerife. Local authorities said on Sunday that firefighters have had some success in containing the fire and had stopped it from spreading to some residential homes. 

At least five villages have been evacuated. 

On Saturday, smoke was reportedly rising 8 kilometres up into the atmosphere around the volcano Teide, where the fires are concentrated. 

The fire is at least 5000 hectares in size and is reported to be the worst wildfire on the Canary Islands in 40 years. 

UPDATED AUGUST 18

More than 3,000 people have been evacuated since Wednesday due to wildfires spreading through the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife, the region’s authorities said Thursday in a statement.

According to CNN, the wildfire has burned around 2,600 hectares (around 6,424 acres) as of Thursday August 17.

The regional leader Fernando Clavijo said Wednesday night that the fires were burning “out of control.” On Thursday he added that more evacuations can not be ruled out.

370 firefighters and 17 firefighting aircraft have been deployed to fight the fire, a statement from the regional authority said Thursday.

Photo Credit: A seaplane is dropping a load of water on the Tenerife wildfire. Screenshot from video footage provided by the Tenerife authorities.

Original post on August 16

A major wildfire on the Spanish island of Tenerife has led to the evacuation of five villages, the BBC reports. 

By late Tuesday evening the fires,  which started in a nature reserve on the north-east coast of the island, had spread to some 8 sq km (800 hectares). 

The main fire has taken hold in woodland and ravines in the Candelaria and Arafo areas, making it difficult for firefighters to work effectively. 

"The fire has a huge potential, so we have asked for additional means",  Rosa Davila, president of the Tenerife Council said on local radio. 

Pedro Martinez, head of Tenerife's emergency services, said multiple secondary fires had also started on the island. 

Last month, wildfires on another Canary Island, La Palma, forced evacuations. 

Meanwhile, in Canada, the outskirts of the city of Yellowknife, North West Territories, could be reached by wildfires as early as the weekend, the CBC reports. 

An evacuation order along Highway 3 in the N.W.T. has been extended to Yellowknife's municipal boundary, as a wildfire is burning about 17 kilometres west of the city. 

N.W.T. Fire said Wednesday morning that the evacuation order now covers kilometres 284 to 329 of the highway and that residents in this area "should leave as soon as it is safe." 

Photo Credit: Tenerife from space. Photo by the European Space Agency