Police have now confirmed that a wildfire raging on the Spanish tourist island of Tenerife was started deliberately.
The regional president of the Canary Islands Fernando Clavijo shared the information from the police investigation with reporters but did not say whether arrests had yet been made.
The news comes after local authorities in Greece last month indicated that arsonists may have had a significant role in the fires that caused havoc close to key tourist spots, with the country’s climate change minister saying the vast majority of fires “were caused by human hands” and said they were “arsons either by criminal negligence or by intention”.
In Tenerife, below-average rainfall means firefighters are left struggling in very difficult conditions to try to tame the fire that raged in the north east of the island last week.
The island’s governor, Rosa Davila, said that more than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, while the emergency services confined yesterday that 11,600 hectares of pine forest and scrubland had burned.
However, Ms Davila said no houses have been burned so far, and no fatalities had been recorded, thanks to the efforts of more than 400 firefighters.
Photos of the fires were widely shared across social media.
🔥Spain’s Tenerife island is still battling devastating forest fires for the fourth day. Reuters reports that about 26K people have been evacuated and more than 5K hectares have been burned. Some people are injured and need medical help. #Tenerife #Fire #Spain pic.twitter.com/IJABlvYDD0
— AG Breaking News (@AGiruckis) August 21, 2023
Wildfire on Tenerife, Spain was started deliberately, official says https://t.co/mCscshrlTK
— 🏳️🌈 Chuck Hamilton (he/him/his) 🏴☠️ (@natty4bumpo) August 21, 2023
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