Fierce wildfires rip through Spain's Tenerife as thousands are evacuated

FIERCE wildfires rip through Spain's Tenerife as thousands are evacuated. Residents of La Esperanza on Tenerife watched as a wildfire which broke out in a mountainous national park on the Spanish island in the Atlantic left them under a precautionary lockdown on Thursday (August 17), while other municipalities had to be evacuated leaving thousands temporarily homeless. The fire's perimeter expanded to 31 kilometers (19 miles) across dry woodland covering both flanks of steep ravines near the Mount Teide volcano - Spain's highest peak - hampering access to the area and covering much of the island with smoke clouds and ash. The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, has burned through 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres) of land and while some villages were evacuated out of precaution, residents in a few others were ordered to stay home, affecting a further 3,500 people. The Sun newspaper brings you the latest breaking news videos and explainers from the UK and around the world Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know Read The Sun: http://www.thesun.co.uk Like The Sun on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesun/ Follow The Sun on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSun Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/The_Sun/1633225139 #wildfires