Spain: Wildfire on La Palma (Canary Islands) prompts evacuations August 22

Event

A wildfire broke out on Friday evening, August 21, on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands) causing hundreds to be evacuated. The fire reportedly broke out at around 18:30 (local time) on Friday in Garafía, where some 300 residents have now been evacuated. Additional firefighting personnel are due to deploy to the area on Saturday, August 22, to assist in the firefighting operations already underway on the island. It is unclear what caused the fire, although reports suggest that consistently high temperatures had created a high fire risk on the island. 

Further spread of the fire is possible in the near term. Emergency response operations and localized transportation disruptions, namely road closures, should be anticipated in the affected areas.

Advice

Those on La Palma are advised to monitor the situation, avoid the area affected by the fires, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.