Forest fires have broken out once again on the picturesque Spanish island of Tenerife, causing hundreds of residents and tourists to flee. This return of wildfires is terrible for the island, which had recently regained control of another large fire earlier this year.
Jump to
- How many people have been evacuated?
- When did the last forest fire occur?
- What did the Municipal Administration of Tenerife say about it?
- What was the highest temperature?
How many people have been evacuated?
Credit: Reuters
More than 3,000 people were evacuated from their homes on the Spanish island of Tenerife as the wildfire raged through a forested area already damaged by a fire in August.
On social media, emergency services said they had requested assistance from the army’s Military Emergency Unit, citing the fire as a high-level emergency.
When did the last forest fire occur?
The August wildfire burned for days and burned 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of forest in the national park surrounding Spain’s highest peak, Mount Teide. Thousands of people were also evacuated at that time and most returned home.
What did the Municipal Administration of Tenerife say about it?
Credit: AP
“Temperatures will continue to be higher (than usual), so we expect more fires to reactivate in the area,” Rosa Dávila, head of the municipal administration of Tenerife, said during a press conference.
He did not say when people who had been evacuated would be able to return to their homes. She estimates that 30 hectares have been damaged since Wednesday afternoon.
What was the highest temperature?
Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic off the coast of northwest Africa, is on high alert for temperatures reaching 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday.
Spain’s national meteorological office, AEMET, reported a record six consecutive days of unseasonable heat between September 28 and October 4, with more forecast.
According to scientists, climate change has been linked to scorching temperatures and dry, windy weather in many parts of the world, including southern Europe.
The August fire was contained, but not completely extinguished, and embers still burn in the forest.
If it rains and is humid, it usually takes two or three months to completely extinguish a large forest fire. Still, current above-average temperatures make it more difficult, according to local emergency services. Persistent dry weather increases the risk of wildfires and drought.
Credit: Reuters
However, the regional head of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, is optimistic that the fire can be contained on the already burned land.
“There is less fuel (for the fire), so it should not get out of control,” he said Thursday at a business event in Madrid.
In Spain and on the border with Portugal, forest fires are more common in summer and less common in autumn. However, in October 2017, the two countries suffered hundreds of large fires, killing 45 people in Portugal and four in Spain.
what do you think about it? Let us know in the comments.
For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn