5,000 hectares destroyed in Spanish archipelago of Canaries, firefighters helped by plummeting temperatures

A drop in temperatures on the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands on Sunday July 16 has favored the progress of firefighters to put out a massive fire after a heat wave. The fire destroyed nearly 5,000 hectares of vegetation within thirty-six hours.

The heat detected at the site was over 40°C on Friday and then 33°C on Saturday, when the first flames were seen, reducing the activity of the mobilized firefighters. The head of the regional administration, Bertando Clavijo, Saturday to Sunday night was announced More than 4,000 people have been ordered to evacuate from the two areas of Tijarafe and Bundagorta.

“The night passed normally, the weather conditions helped us a lot, the temperature dropped considerably”Welcomed by President Sergio Rodriguez City Hall La Palma, the island’s governing body, in a video posted on social media. In Bundagorda, where the fire broke out early on Saturday, the temperature was 24 degrees Celsius at 11 am on Sunday. “As a result, the flames subsided and a hundred people who worked hard in the area were able to control the perimeter”he added.

400 fire fighters were always mobilized

“We are confident that in the next few hours, we will be able to put an end to this fire.”, Hector Gómez, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of the Spanish government, who visited the site, announced on public television TVE. He estimated “Almost 5,000 hectares” Burned area.

According to the Civil Guard, the fire has now reached the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. However, national park director Miguel Angel Palomares remains optimistic, assuring that the fire is making progress. “too soft”. According to the regional government of the Canary Islands, around 400 firefighters are still battling the blaze on the island, supported by eleven aerial units.

In 2022, about 500 fires burned more than 300,000 hectares in Spain, a record in Europe, according to the European Forest Fire Information System – 66,000 hectares have already burned since the beginning of 2023, which promises to be very dangerous for this country. Difficulty with climate change. The spring there was the hottest and second driest on record, according to Spain’s Meteorological Center.