Out-of-Control Wildfire Scorches Spain’s Tenerife Island, Affecting Thousands

The flames advance through the forest near the town of El Rosario, as wildfire continues to burn on Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, on Aug. 16, 2023. Europa Press via AP

BARCELONA, Spain—An out-of-control wildfire on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife has burned thousands of acres and affected nearly 8,000 people who are either evacuated or confined, authorities said Thursday.

Regional President Fernando Clavijo said some 250 firefighters and members of the Spanish army are tackling the blaze, located in the north of the island, a key tourist destination. Clavijo said the fire had a nearly 30-kilometer-long (19-mile) perimeter.