Teide Observatory Fire: How the Izaña Center Weathered the Threat
The dire words once whispered that a disaster was looming did not come to pass. A fierce blaze near Izaña, high above Tenerife, tested the resolve of the Teide Observatory’s team. Rafael Rebolo, a leading figure at the Canary Islands Institute for Astrophysics, believed that scientific facilities could not be stopped by the advancing flames. Yet the containment measures kept the flames at bay long enough to protect the Observatory’s telescopes as the fire raged below the site.
At present, the Izaña Atmospheric Research Center facilities remained untouched by the blaze. The State Meteorology Institution reported that while no structures had been consumed yet, workers remained vigilant for any shift in the fire’s path toward the scientific hubs nearby.
Around sixty people worked through the night, coordinating with the Military Emergency Unit units stationed on Tenerife’s peaks. Their joint efforts and rapid response helped halt the fire’s progression for the moment, preserving the scientific facilities from direct exposure to the flames for now.
Officials from Aemet and the IAC indicated that stopping the fire entirely could occur in the coming hours, with a full assessment of any damage planned once it is safe to enter the sites again in a few days.
The Teide Observatory staff had already been evacuated, and since then they monitored the situation through cameras at the observatory. The Saturday front appeared on their screens, though the field of view was limited. The developing scenario looked dangerous, but containment remained the priority.
Concerns at the front near Izaña continue amid ongoing efforts to control the blaze
Earlier in the day, the IAC director warned affiliated institutions about potential impact scenarios via mass mail and briefed island authorities on the situation. He noted that the fire’s approach was visible in real time and emphasized the importance of timely communication with partners and authorities.
To protect the sites, a barrier had been established around the observatory, and both the IAC and Aemet opened two cisterns, each with more than 200 cubic meters of water, to support firefighters in halting the spread of the flames.
Despite these measures, the flames pressed close, with the fire circulating near critical telescope facilities. The French Themis, the German Stella, and the 150 Canarian Quijote telescopes stood at the center of the frontline, with the blaze encircling the observatory on several fronts, according to Rebolo.
Observatory personnel observed that the incident, described by Virgilio Carreño as an incidental head of fundamental systems, moved toward Fasnia. A tongue of fire reportedly breached a hangar nearby before settling in a valley area, heightening concern for several delicate facilities located in that sector. Several highly sensitive installations lie in that vicinity, underscoring the need for careful defense against the advancing front.
Firefighters continued a piecewise approach to protect infrastructure and keep the fire from descending into populated areas. A Tenerife Forestry Service briefing highlighted the situation as alarming, stressing the media’s role in accurately conveying the developing scene from this location today.
The fire remained extremely close to the Themis and Stella telescopes
Ground crews, supported by seaplanes and helicopters, worked around a large temporary water raft set up to assist suppression efforts. According to Rebolo, Teide Observatory has faced harsh conditions before, including blizzards and hurricane-force winds that have toppled equipment, yet the current threat marked one of the island’s most severe episodes. As researchers awaited a final field assessment, the possibility of minor damage to certain facilities could not be entirely ruled out, even as efforts continued to preserve core structures.
[Attribution: IAC and Aemet updates; statements through official channels]