Fire in El Paso

A forest fire is burning near Montaña Quemada in El Paso. The last I heard, it had burned 400 hectares and the fire-fighters were trying to keep it inside the lava flows which form a natural fire-break. 100 people have been evacuated from Tajuya, Piedra Blanca, Juliana y La Moradita, and the old tunnel through the Cumbre had been closed (the new, lower tunnel is bi-directional).

There’s a much bigger fire raging on Tenerife, which has burned at least 1,800 hectares across three municipalities, and a small one in La Gomera.

It really doesn’t help that temperatures are predicted to rise to 39 ºC today. Global climate change is far from the only cause forest fires, but it does make them easier to start and harder to fight.

There are photos of the fire by Saul Santos at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150960073197675.437223.319725932674&type=3

Posted by sheila

Sheila came to La Palma with a six month contract and has stayed 24 years so far. She used to work as a software engineer at the observatory, but now she's a writer and Starlight guide.

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