A forest fire in Tenerife that started yesterday afternoon has continued to spread today, affecting around 200 hectares of public forest.

The fire is now thought to be the 12th affecting the Spanish territory as a heatwave sweeps across large parts of Europe.

According to data provided by the technicians the flames have so far affected some 200 hectares and the fire has a perimeter of 5 kilometers of public forest, without affecting, for the time being, any homes.

The head of the Executive announced that 150 troops were dispatched to help with the fire extinction, amounting to a total of 230 people including the security forces. A total of 10 aerial means have been operated.

Following compatisons to a similar fire that took place in 2007 in the same area, President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres said that there are: “Better conditions because there are no relevant gusts of wind and it is expected that this will continue in the coming hours.”

High temperatures, together with low humidity, represent a potentially aggravating factor, so the President said their aim is to try and stabilize the fire today.