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WATCH: Thousands evacuated as wildfires rage through the Canary Islands
The fire broke out in a woodland area of La Palma over the weekend
More than 4,255 people have been evacuated from the surrounds of El Pinar de Puntagorda in the north-west of the Canary Island of La Palma where a wildfire broke out in the early hours of Saturday July 15.
Two days later, the blaze is still raging out of control as all of Spain faces the third heatwave of the summer.
Already more than 4,000 hectares of land have burned to the ground although many of the residents who fled from their Pinar de Puntagorda and Tijarafe homes have begun to return on Sunday night and Monday morning.
Imágenes del Grupo de Reserva y Seguridad número 8 #GRS de Canarias pic.twitter.com/lCkHxBWEyV
— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) July 16, 2023
This is the first natural disaster to strike the island since a volcanic eruption flattened homes and farmland back in 2021.
The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, stressed late on Sunday that the fire “is not controlled” and that the area above the LP-1 highway remains closed. At least 20 homes and other buildings have been engulfed by the flames and firefighters are now turning their attention to the fire encroaching on the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. This area has been largely ignored up to now as authorities prioritised battling the blaze in more populated areas.
“With the resources that we are deploying, we hope we can control the fire today, but the winds are shifting,” Clavijo said. “More gusting winds are expected and, combined with the dryness of the terrain and the lack of rain, this situation is complicated.”
Around 550 firefighters continue to tackle the forest fire on the ground while eleven units are battling it from the air.The Guardia Civil is still investigating the cause of the devastating wildfire but early reports indicate it could have been caused by the burning of a rubbish container.
Images: Guardia Civil
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