SW News: Firefighters in Spain’s Canary Islands are battling a fierce blaze that has already devoured 11,600 hectares. There are reports that the fire, which is the worst in the archipelago in decades,

Thousands of people have been evacuated to safer places after the blaze threatened a craggy mountainous region comprising 11 towns. Addressing media persons, Governor Rosa Davila of the island of Tenerife, the largest in the archipelago, said, “Thanks to the work of the firefighters, the results have been very positive.”

According to police, the fires were intentionally started and they are probing the arson angle. President Fernando Clavijo of the Canary Islands said the perpetrators placed the lives of thousands of people in jeopardy with their act. He said firefighters worked hard during the weekend to battle the flames without allowing them to devour any more houses.

On Sunday, 20 aerial units also joined firefighters to control the spread of the blaze. Technical head of the operation Montse Roman said the efforts of firefighters mainly focused on protecting infrastructure and houses.
According to the Guardia Civil Police, the fire displaced as many as 12,279 people. Clavijo said that the southern front of the flames was stable while the north remained a major concern.

It was on Wednesday last week that the fire broke out in a national park near Mount Teide volcano, the highest peak in Spain. The popular tourist locations in the south are safe as of now and both the airports in Tenerife are functioning as usual.

The blaze comes in the aftermath of a blistering heat wave that has left large tracts of land dry and vulnerable. With climate change causing temperatures to rise, scientists say such hot spells are likely to occur again.