Thousands of people were evacuated overnight as wildfires raged in Tenerife.
The blaze affected the towns of Santa Ursula and La Orotava in the northeast following surging temperatures and strong winds.
Pictures across social media showed fire services attempting to extinguish the blaze which has spread across approximately 70 acres.
Some 3,000 people have been evacuated from the area.
The military has also been called in to help battle the fires although both airports are still operational.
Tenerife again!!!! 🔥 Around 3,000 people have been evacuated from their homes overnight due to wildfire sparked by high temperatures and strong winds!#ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/yLz4VqUeX8
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) October 5, 2023
The same area suffered one of the island's worst wildfires in decades in August when 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland were burned and some 12,000 residents evacuated over several weeks.
Although that wildfire was brought under control it was never fully extinguished. Small fires have continued to break out periodically in the same area due to winds and high temperatures.
The island, like the rest of Spain, has been experiencing an intense drought for several years and unusually high temperatures so far in October.
The start of October has been the warmest since records began, the country’s meteorological agency AEMET said on Monday, with nearly 40% of weather stations recording maximum temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius.
Joe Cawley, a travel writer based in Tenerife, told Sky News: “This obviously comes after the larger August fires but this is worrying sign that they have started again.
“The temperatures have increased and we are in that dangerous 30/30/30 situation. That’s 30% humidity, 30km breezes and over 30C, which is what usually triggers these fires.
“This fire is in a particularly steep part of the island and its amongst pine trees, brambles and heather, so there is a lot more smoke being created and I think that’s the main reason behind the evacuations.
“They’ve got seven helicopters in the area so they are doing all they can and this morning we heard reports that they were making progress and that they should soon have control of the perimeter.”
