Evacuations as Wildfire Burns on Spain's Tenerife

Summary:

• Thousands evacuated or confined to homes as wildfire rages on Tenerife.
• Fierce flames illuminated the night sky from Friday to Saturday.
• Fire originated near Mount Teide volcano and affected 12,000 acres of land.
• Tourist areas and airports remain unaffected, but the fire is considered the most complex in 40 years.

Thousands of people were evacuated or confined to their homes on the Spanish island of Tenerife on Saturday morning, according to the authorities, as a wildfire in the north of the island continued to rage out of control. Fierce flames lit up the night sky overnight from Friday to Saturday.

Evacuee's Harrowing Experience

Paulina Fernandez is one of the evacuees. The night before we arrived we had a pretty bad time. We saw how everything was burning. It was up the mountain but the ashes, everything was falling. Ashes, the ground, everything.
The roofs were full of ash.

Origin and Scale of the Fire

The blaze broke out on Wednesday in a mountainous national park around the Mount Teide volcano. On Friday regional leaders said some 12,000 acres of land were affected. The island's popular tourist areas have so far been spared, and its two airports have been operating normally. The fire has been called the most complex the Canary Islands have faced in 40 years due to a combination of hot, dry, and windy weather as well as difficult terrain.

Authorities are working tirelessly to contain the wildfire and protect the residents of Tenerife. The situation remains critical as firefighters battle the flames amid challenging conditions.