Wildfire on Spain’s popular tourist island of Tenerife was started deliberately, official says

By ARTURO RODRÍGUEZ and CIARÁN GILES
Associated Press

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Canary Islands (AP) — The Canary Islands leader says police have confirmed that a wildfire on the tourist island of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands was started deliberately. Regional President Fernando Clavijo said Sunday police had opened three lines of inquiry but did not say if there had been any arrests. Improved weather conditions helped firefighters make advances toward taming the blaze. Although the blaze is not near the island’s main southwestern tourist areas, the regional government ordered the evacuation of a state-run hotel in the Teide volcano national park, in the center of the island. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from their houses since the fire started.