Fire burns on Canary Islands
16th August 2012
Large fires have continued to spread across Spain's Canary Islands leaving a trail of ruined land in its path
The fires started a week ago on La Gomera and were initially under control but reignited and subsequently spread to Tenerife. 2,500 people were evacuated on La Gomera and 2,200 in Tenerife. On La Gomera alone the fire has destroyed over 10,000 acres of land and 39 homes.
The fire is steadily beginning to be controlled thanks largely to a drop in temperature. The cause of the blaze has been cited as Spain's recent weather; it has had its driest winter in nearly 70 years, creating the perfect conditions for forest fires.
The Spanish islands have been left devastated by the blaze and some 4,700 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Many have now been able to return after officials deemed it safe. Over 1,300 still remain homeless as they wait for the fire to burn out.
The fire has also torched 25% of the Garajonay nature reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Officials believe it will take up to three decades for the reserve to recover and have labelled the fire as an “ecological disaster”.
Firefighters battling the blazes were up against "high temperatures, low humidity and wind", regional economy minister Javier Gonzalez Ortiz was quoted as saying.
On Tenerife the fire has caused widespread damage with the cutting of road links and power lines. Firefighters have managed to now control the blaze on Tenerife but travellers are still prohibited from participating in mountain activities.