A serious wildfire has broken out in Gran Canaria near Cazadores in Telde, prompting the deployment of emergency crews and aerial firefighting resources as authorities warn that the blaze has a “high potential” to spread.

The fire was reported shortly before 1:00pm today, (Monday), with Telde Council receiving notification of the emergency from the island’s CECOPIN coordination centre.

Firefighting resources from the Gran Canaria Cabildo were quickly sent to the area, including ground crews and helicopters, as efforts began to contain the flames.

The situation is being complicated by the weather, with the Cabildo warning that the fire is being driven by a southerly wind.

Of particular concern is the possibility that the flames could reach the bottom of the ravine and find new routes of propagation towards the higher parts of the island.

The communities of Cazadores and La Solana are among those closest to the affected area.

Mountain roads closed

Authorities have taken the precaution of closing the GC-130 and GC-120 roads to traffic to allow firefighters, emergency crews and security services unrestricted access to the area.

Members of the public are being specifically asked not to travel towards Cazadores or attempt to use the affected mountain roads.

Residents in Cazadores, La Breña and other nearby higher areas have also been advised to close their doors and windows if smoke from the wildfire begins moving towards their homes.

At the time of publication, authorities have not reported any evacuations or casualties.

The situation remains active and could change quickly depending on the direction of the wind and the progress made by firefighting teams.

Fire starts during difficult weather conditions

The outbreak comes at a particularly difficult time for firefighters, with Gran Canaria experiencing high temperatures, low humidity in some areas and calima.

The Canary Islands Government has activated a wildfire-risk alert covering Gran Canaria above 400 metres, while the remainder of the island is subject to pre-alert conditions.

The regional government has also activated pre-alerts across the Canary Islands for high temperatures and calima.

The combination of heat, dry conditions, Saharan dust and wind increases concern surrounding any wildfire that starts in higher or rural areas.

The Cabildo has consequently urged people to exercise maximum caution while crews attempt to bring the Cazadores fire under control.

Fire has “high potential”

Although the size of the affected area has not yet been officially confirmed, authorities have described the wildfire as having a high potential for propagation.

That does not mean the fire will necessarily develop into a major forest fire, but indicates that the conditions and terrain could allow it to spread dramatically if containment efforts are unsuccessful.

Emergency teams are therefore concentrating on preventing the flames from establishing new fronts towards the summit.

The next few hours are expected to be important in determining how the wildfire develops.

Anyone in the affected area should follow instructions issued by emergency services and local authorities and should avoid travelling towards the fire, both for their own safety and to prevent vehicles from obstructing emergency crews.

Canarian Weekly will update this story as further confirmed information becomes available.