23 children evacuated as fire breaks out at campsite in South Tenerife
A dramatic fire in the early hours of this morning (Friday) forced the evacuation of 23 children and two adults from the Madre del Agua mountain camp in Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, after flames ripped through one of its wooden cabins and spread to nearby trees.
The alarm was raised at around 6:30 am, when the Canary Islands Emergency Coordination Centre (CECOES 112) received frantic calls reporting a fire inside the camp. Firefighters from the Tenerife Fire Consortium, backed by the Local Police, the Guardia Civil, and Forestry officers, rushed to the remote forest area and battled the flames through thick smoke and difficult terrain.
One cabin was completely destroyed, and a towering column of smoke could be seen from several kilometres away. Crews worked throughout the morning to bring the situation under control, and by mid-morning, authorities confirmed there were no injuries and no risk of the flames spreading further into the surrounding pine forest.
All evacuees were safely moved to a secure area while firefighters dampened down remaining hotspots and investigated the cause of the blaze. Early indications suggest it may have been accidental, but the investigation remains open.
The Madre del Agua camp, set high in the mountains above Granadilla near Vilaflor, is one of Tenerife’s best-known outdoor education sites, regularly hosting school trips and youth groups for environmental and adventure activities. Surrounded by protected forest within the Corona Forestal Natural Park, the site is managed by the Cabildo de Tenerife as part of its environmental education network.
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