Photo: Guardas Rurales. Updated 5.40: The Tenerife Cabildo has just said that as of 5.32pm the fire in the National Park is under control. Brifor is continuing working to damp down the area and get the fire extinguished but the damage is now confirmed at 7.5 acres of gorse, tajinaste and scrubland. Updated 4pm: The fire is still blazing and the road through the caldera has now been closed from the Teleférico to the junction with the Chio road. This video has been released by La Orotava Security Department. Medios aéreos trabajando en Conato de incendio en el @pnteide. Unidades de #PoliciaLocal #LaOrotava colaboran enREAD MORE

Photo: Santiago del Teide Ayuntamiento. Sunday evening will see bonfires on many beaches in Tenerife in celebration of the Noche de San Juan Bautista as I posted HERE. This year, however, those beaches will unfortunately not include Puerto Santiago where the Ayuntamiento has cancelled the event due, its statement says, to “the persistent problem of the discharges from the underwater outlet”. The Council says that it is aware of the problem and understands the disquiet felt by both public and tourists who can be assured that everything that can be done is being done to resolve the matter. The Council adds that various solutions areREAD MORE

A collaborative project between the British Consulates in the south Spain region and the University of Birmingham has resulted in Support in Spain, an online directory of resources, help, advice and information for British nationals in Spain. The principal focus is those over 50 years of age but really the website will be of substantial help to anyone needing to access any social or welfare assistance anywhere in Spain – one particular advantage of the site, indeed, is the ability to find genuinely local assistance rather than coming across generic listings that could be anywhere as you’d find with most online browser results. Apart fromREAD MORE

Photo: Tenerife Turismo. It’s the summer solstice today, and so the beginning of the height of summer, and so, too, Tenerife will be pretty much completely on holiday until the end of August. As I posted HERE, the midsummer celebrations in Tenerife focus on St John the Baptist, with fire and fireworks celebrations all over the island this Sunday, 23 June, but over the next two months or so the main series of summer fiestas will honour the Virgen del Carmen – the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel who is the patron saint of fishermen. Perhaps the biggest celebration is in Puerto de la Cruz whereREAD MORE