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Wildfire evacuees on Spain’s Tenerife allowed to return home

Thousands of residents evacuated for two days from the Spanish island of Tenerife because of a wildfire were allowed home on Friday after firefighters gained control over the blaze, officials said.

Published: 6 October 2023 15:51 CEST

Wildfire evacuees on Spain's Tenerife allowed to return home

A person watches from his house as wildfire rages through forested areas of northern Tenerife. (Photo by CESAR MANSO / AFP)

Around 120 firefighters backed by nine helicopters were battling the blaze in an area of steep ravines in the northeast of the holiday island.

The wildfire, which first broke out on August 15, was declared under control on September 11 after destroying around 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of woodland.

But it was never completely extinguished and reignited on Wednesday amid scorching temperatures.

The fire forced the evacuation of around 3,200 people from the towns of Santa Úrsula and La Orotava but the head of the regional government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, said they would all now be allowed to return home.

The regional government has lowered its alert level for the wildfire to One from Two because the situation had evolved favourably “in recent hours”, he posted on X, formerly called Twitter.

Since August, small fires have periodically ignited in the area due to winds and high temperatures.

Until Wednesday’s flare-up, firefighters had been able to quickly contain the fires.

Temperatures in Tenerife have soared to nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on some parts of the island, in recent days, levels normally only seen during the summer.

They eased somewhat on Friday, prompting the regional government of the archipelago to end its heat alert for Tenerife and the neighbouring island of Gran Canaria.

The seven-island archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa and southwest of mainland Spain. At their nearest point, the islands are 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Morocco.

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Weekend of fires in Spain's Valencia sparks fears of arsonists on the loose

The latest in this series of fires took place this weekend in the sugar cane fields around El Saler, near the Natural Park of Albufera and its lagoon.

Fortunately, the fires have now been brought under control, but Valencia mayor María José Catalá, has expressed “concern” at being told that it’s “very likely” the blazes were started intentionally.

“We cannot clearly say that it was accidental or intentional, but they tell me that everything seems to indicate that it is intentional,” she explained.

“For a few months now we’ve had a pyromaniac on the loose in Valencia”, Catalá stated, “an arsonist who is doing a lot of damage and an arsonist who, of course, has to be controlled”.

READ ALSO: Why are there so many forest fires in Spain?

Towards the end of 2023, there was another spate of intentional fires in the same area, and in October Spanish Civil Guard arrested the man they believed to be responsible.

La Dehesa del Saler is a Mediterranean forest located between the Albufera lagoon, known as the birthplace of paella, and the sea, and covers around 800 hectares. Made up of countless different types of trees and home to various types of wildlife, it is an important natural habitat, which must be protected.

In order to control the latest fires, 30 and 40 firefighters were called up to help put it out. Catalá has promised that the City Council will do its job and install water cannons in the Devesa area and is reinforcing the workforce of municipal firefighters, improving facilities and providing them with “all possible material”.

“I am doing everything possible to let nothing happen to La Devesa, but we need the administration of justice to be forceful,” she continued.

Over the same weekend, there were a further four intentional fires started further south in Villajoyosa in Alicante province.

The first occurred on Cervantes Street, in a container, followed by another in Castelar Square, in the old town; one more on Varadero Avenue; and the last one on Puerto Avenue.

The incidents are now being investigated, and according to police sources, everything points to one person as being responsible for them.

To make matters worse, Valencia’s fires have also served as political ammunition, with far-right party Vox accusing left-wing opponents of somehow being involved.

Vox party member within the Valencia City Council, José Gosálbez hinted that the coincidence “stands out” as “since the Left lost power, the fires have multiplied, with 16 hectares of burnt area”.

The spokesperson for the Socialist Party of Valencia PSPV, Sandra Gómez, said his statements were those of “a political arsonist”, and “out of line”.

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