Beachgoers in Spain appear unbothered as huge wildfire burns on holiday island

A huge wildfire is burning on a holiday island in Spain but that hasn’t deterred beachgoers from relaxing on the sand.

Beachgoers have been filmed continuing to lay out in the sun as a huge wildfire burned on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife.

The video showed the fire looming over swimmers and sunbathers on a northern beach in Puerto de la Cruz on Thursday, local time, according to Storyful.

Some could be seen looking up at the large plumes of smoke in the mountains behind them, while others continued to bask on the sand and wade in the water as the fire burned.

The blaze has forced the evacuation of thousands of people.

It broke out late on Tuesday, local time, and has been raging through a forested area with steep ravines in the northeastern part of the island, which part of the Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa.

Beachgoers in Tenerife lay in the sun as the fire burns. Picture: @neftis26 via Storyful

They appeared unbothered by the plumes of smoke behind them. Picture: @neftis26 via Storyful

The blaze has so far ravaged over 3200 hectares of land, the chief commissioner of the archipelago’s police force Luis Santos told local television.

“It is a complicated fire, with an unusual behaviour,” he added.

Some 3000 residents in the area have been evacuated and around 4000 others were ordered to stay indoors due to poor air quality, the regional government said.

“This is probably the most complex fire we’ve ever had in the Canary Islands in at least the past 40 years,” Fernando Clavijo, regional head of the archipelago, told reporters.

“The extreme heat and weather conditions … is making the work harder,” he added.

A view of the fire from the village of Arafo on August 16. Picture: Desiree Martin / AFP

Around 400 firefighters and soldiers backed by 17 water-dropping planes and helicopters have been mobilised to battle the blaze which is threatening six municipalities.

In a message posted on social media, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his “solidarity with the people affected by the wildfire in Tenerife, especially those who had to be evacuated.”

“I would like to thank, once again, all the personnel for the tireless work they are doing and for their enormous professionalism in the fight against the fire.”

About 400 firefighters are battling the wildfire. Picture: Desiree Martin / AFP

The regional government has set up four shelters for people who had to flee their homes.

Local authorities have cut off access to the Mount Teide volcano, Spain’s highest peak and a top tourist draw, because of the fire.

The blaze broke out after the islands were hit by a heatwave that has left many areas tinder dry.

It comes a week after devastating wildfires that erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

At least 111 people are known to have died with the final death toll expected to be significantly higher as cadaver dogs continue the search for bodies.

Only a handful of the victims found so far in the historic tourist town of Lahaina, which was almost totally destroyed, have been identified.

Police have encouraged those with missing relatives to give DNA samples to help speed up the process.

Tourists have been told to stay away from the island, with those already there criticised for continuing their holidays at luxury beachfront resorts up the coast.

One Maui local told the BBC that tourists were swimming in the “same waters that our people died in three days ago”, which was believed to reference a snorkelling excursion on Friday about 18km from Lahaina.