The effects of the fire in a vineyard in DO Valle de Güímar.
The fire started at the Lomo Redondo viewpoint at 1,225m in altitude, within the municipality of Arafo. During the investigation, authorities have found not only the origin but also suspect it was started intentionally as an act of arson.
While now controlled, the fire continues to burn over a month after it began.
To date, over 15,000ha of forest have burned across the Mount Teide peak of the island. The intensity and size of the fire was fuelled by strong winds, heat, and very low humidity. It has already been registered as the worst fire in the Canary Islands in the last 40 years and the worst in all of Spain for 2023.
While there have been no human fatalities, the damage to the wilderness and ecosystem at this altitude has been incalculable as this is a unique zone that, due to its altitude, allows specific vegetation and animal life that isn’t possible in the lower, tropical zones of Tenerife. These altitudes are also where a great many vineyards are cultivated.
Unlike the 2021 fires on the island of La Palma due to a volcanic eruption and which viticulturists are still working to recover from, this is a rather remote region in Tenerife that didn’t immediately threaten built-up areas, although more than 26,000 residents were told to evacuate as a precaution.
Those with vineyards in the area could do little more than watch at firefighters battled the blaze.
