, captured on 19 August 2019, showing fires in bright orange and burn scars in dark brown.
Artenara The first forest fire was started by inadvertent human action on 10 August 2019 in
Artenara. The 55-year-old who was working with a welding machine and accidentally caused the fire was arrested. By 12 August, the fire had been contained but not extinguished. of land had been burnt by then and over 1000 local residents had been evacuated. The wildfire was declared to have been stabilised on 13 August after 13 aircraft had been working on firefighting activities. A total of had been affected by then. By 16 August, residents had been allowed to move back into their homes. On 25 August, the fire was declared to have been completely extinguished.
Cazadores A second fire broke out in Cazadores on 13 August, in the municipality of
Telde, causing the evacuation of 25 residents. This smaller fire was started by a pyromaniac who was later arrested. On 25 August, the fire was declared to have been completely extinguished. The firefighting operation involved 16 aircraft and about 700 firefighters; however, the high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity levels were hampering the efforts and the wildfire could not be contained, with authorities declaring it to be "completely out of control". By 22 August, the fire had been stabilised but not yet extinguished. Around 7500 people of those evacuated were allowed to return to their homes. The fire originated very close to an electricity pylon and the cause of the fire was found to be a fault with electrical wiring on the pylon that caused a spark. Two and a half months earlier a level-one fire occurred in exactly in the same place, but like most fires on the island was quickly extinguished. It is also clear that the hot, windy and dry weather conditions greatly contributed to the fire's rapid propagation. Many also blamed the neglect of local authorities for not having cleared the thick undergrowth and dry leaves accumulated on the forest floor, further fuelling the fire. In addition,
firefighters pointed at the poor political management of emergencies on the island, inadequate work conditions, a shortage of firefighters and the fact that the nearest
fire station to the forest fire had been closed for the past eight years. The president of the
cabildo insular (island council), Antonio Morales, disagreed with these claims stating that a team of extraordinary professionals works throughout the year on preventive measures such as firewalls. Instead, Morales put the onus on the owners of private terrains who do not adequately maintain their properties.
Damage to protected areas The wildfire affected the areas surrounding
Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria a month after the site was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to reports, the fire did not damage the actual archeological site. ==Tenerife==