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Wildfire evacuees on Spain’s Tenerife allowed to return home

Thousands of residents evacuated for two days from the Spanish island of Tenerife because of a wildfire were allowed home on Friday after firefighters gained control over the blaze, officials said.

Published: 6 October 2023 15:51 CEST

Wildfire evacuees on Spain's Tenerife allowed to return home

A person watches from his house as wildfire rages through forested areas of northern Tenerife. (Photo by CESAR MANSO / AFP)

Around 120 firefighters backed by nine helicopters were battling the blaze in an area of steep ravines in the northeast of the holiday island.

The wildfire, which first broke out on August 15, was declared under control on September 11 after destroying around 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of woodland.

But it was never completely extinguished and reignited on Wednesday amid scorching temperatures.

The fire forced the evacuation of around 3,200 people from the towns of Santa Úrsula and La Orotava but the head of the regional government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, said they would all now be allowed to return home.

The regional government has lowered its alert level for the wildfire to One from Two because the situation had evolved favourably “in recent hours”, he posted on X, formerly called Twitter.

Since August, small fires have periodically ignited in the area due to winds and high temperatures.

Until Wednesday’s flare-up, firefighters had been able to quickly contain the fires.

Temperatures in Tenerife have soared to nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on some parts of the island, in recent days, levels normally only seen during the summer.

They eased somewhat on Friday, prompting the regional government of the archipelago to end its heat alert for Tenerife and the neighbouring island of Gran Canaria.

The seven-island archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa and southwest of mainland Spain. At their nearest point, the islands are 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Morocco.

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Why has Spain had far fewer wildfires this summer?

So far this year wildfires in Spain have burned 42,314 hectares of land. That may sound like a lot, but it’s actually a lot less than usual – 46.4 percent less than in the same period in 2023, to be exact, when 78,852 hectares were scorched.

In fact, 2024 hasn’t just been a low year relative to 2023 but the entire last decade – 46.5 percent less than the average for the last ten years, according to data from Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO).

In terms of geography, the inland regions have suffered more fires than in the north or on the Mediterranean coast this year. Burnt areas in these inland parts of Spain represent 43.5 percent of the total to date, compared to 37.35 percent in the Mediterranean area and 19 percent in northeastern Spain.

So far the most serious fire this year was in Jaén in southern Spain, which devastated some 3,600 hectares and forced hundreds of people to be evacuated from their homes. But it was still nothing like the massive wildfires of previous years that burnt 10,000 hectares or even 20,000 hectares that we’ve become used to seeing.

July and August are generally thought to be the worst months of wildfire season, but experts warn that September is still a crucial month for controlling them. Looking at data, however, the signs are good so far.

Why has Spain had far fewer wildfires this summer?

Meteorologist at El Tiempo.es, Mario Picazo, points to the different weather conditions this year, particularly over the summer months. In a sentence this basically means that conditions have been more favourable compared to previous years when it comes to wildfires.

Spain’s Military Emergency Unit has observed that vegetation has had a higher moisture content this year, especially during part of the summer. Dry vegetation and plant material is highly combustible and is one of the fastest ways for wildfires to spread.

Rain and higher moisture levels, according to Picazo, have played a role in reducing both the number and intensity of wildfires this year.

“Although it cannot be said to be the only factor, the rain in June has had a lot to do with it,’ stated one Ministry representative in Spanish daily El País.

Heightened awareness about the dangers of wildfires following major blazes in the summer of 2023 also likely played a role in the reduction. Awareness campaigns started in 2022 have obviously had some impact, seeing as around 80 percent of wildfires are caused by some kind of human action, whether intentional or accidental.

But it does seem the favourable weather conditions played a big role. Summer this year began with relatively mild temperatures and there has been rain to some degree in most parts of the country. This has increased humidity levels in drought-ridden areas that were previously extremely dry, such as in Catalonia.

There have also been some storms in the Mediterranean region, which, although isolated, have helped to reduce the dryness in the environment and made wildfires less likely to start and spread.

Juli Pausas, a CSIC researcher and fire expert, stresses that this year “there have not been the extreme conditions” that usually generate the large, uncontrollable wildfires we’ve become used to seeing in Spain in recent years.

Strong winds also play a role in this. “Fortunately, the wind has not blown with the necessary force to get the fires out of control,” Pausas says. This means that any fires that have started, something less likely due to the rains and higher humidity levels, are easier for the emergency services to control.

READ ALSO: What to do and what to avoid if you see a wildfire in Spain

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