More than 4,000 people evacuated as the Spanish island of La Palma witnesses ‘out of control’ wildfires

According to local officials, over 4,000 individuals were evacuated from their homes as “out of control” wildfires ravaged the Spanish island of La Palma. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe, including Spain, is enduring record-breaking temperatures.

The wildfire on La Palma began early on Saturday in the wooded area of El Pinar de Puntagorda in the northern part of the Canary Islands. As a result, the regional government issued an official alert for neighboring islands, including Tenerife and Gran Canaria, due to the risk of forest fires.

Local authorities have evacuated residents from the villages of Puntagorda and Tijarafe. The blaze has already impacted an area of approximately 4,500 hectares. Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, stated that at least 13 houses have been destroyed since Saturday and described the fire as “out of control.” Clavijo attributed the rapid spread of the blaze to the wind, weather conditions, and the ongoing heatwave.

Despite resistance from some locals, Clavijo appealed for people to act responsibly and leave their homes when instructed to do so. In addition to La Palma, 50 individuals were forced to evacuate from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, after the wildfire broke out and consumed about 60 hectares of land in the region.

Fighting the wildfire on the island, ten aerial units and 300 firefighters were deployed as of Sunday. King Felipe VI of Spain reached out to Clavijo to express his support for the people of the Canary Islands.

The wildfire coincided with extremely high ground temperatures in parts of Spain, where some areas experienced temperatures exceeding 60 degrees Celsius during the deadly heatwave affecting parts of Europe, the United States, and China.

Countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece have been enduring scorching temperatures for several days. Weather forecasters in Spain have warned of the ongoing wildfire risks and the absence of respite from high temperatures, as nighttime temperatures are expected to remain above 25 degrees Celsius. Southern Spain is forecasted to experience temperatures as high as 44 degrees Celsius as the heatwave intensifies starting Monday.