At a glance: the 2026 deployment
- More than 2,600 personnel – roughly 100 more than last year
- 202 fire engines and 19 aircraft
- 23 drones for surveillance and situation assessment
- New this year: a third EIRIF helicopter based on El Hierro, plus three light fire engines carrying 2,300 litres each
- Official start of the campaign: 1 June 2026
Contents
Weather and heat this week
The state weather agency AEMET has issued a yellow warning for suspended dust across the Canary Islands. Visibility drops to around 3,000 metres in the midlands and summit areas, and the thermometer is climbing in parallel: temperatures rise gradually from Wednesday, peaking on Saturday. In the interior of southern Gran Canaria, the east of Lanzarote and above all on Fuerteventura, 30 to 34 degrees are forecast. The wind swings to the east – exactly the set-up that pushes warm, dry air in (AEMET, as of 20 May).
For the two-week holidaymaker, this first means one thing: lovely. Sun instead of the changeable cloud of recent days. But anyone here longer – the digital nomad in a Las Palmas co-working space, the retiree in Telde who lets out a small holiday flat – knows the flip side. A calima means dust on the washing, windows shut despite the heat, and for people with respiratory problems a few uncomfortable days. Spain's health ministry simply advises closing windows during stronger episodes and easing off on physical exertion outdoors.
Heightened fire risk and the 2026 campaign
And it means something newcomers easily underestimate: heightened fire risk. Dry air, wind, heat – this is the weather the islands have treated with great respect since the devastating fires on Tenerife in 2023.
That is precisely why, on Tuesday 19 May, a group most tourists never get to see was sitting around a table in a government meeting room: representatives of the island councils, the military emergency unit UME, the EIRIF firefighting intervention teams and AEMET. It was the first coordination meeting for the 2026 wildfire campaign, which officially begins on 1 June.
What hikers and summer tourists need to know
That reads like bureaucratic prose, but it has a very concrete value for anyone planning a hike here or renting a house in the midlands. When the risk level rises, nature parks and hiking trails are closed at short notice, often overnight. Anyone heading into the pine forests of Tamadaba or around Teide this summer should check the current status before setting off, rather than relying on last year's guidebook. Open fires, barbecuing outside designated zones and carelessly tossing a cigarette are not just unwise during the campaign season – they can get expensive.
Outlook and practical tips
The good news for this week: the current heat-and-dust window is not yet an official heatwave, and the fire campaign only starts in June. It is an overture, not an emergency. But it is a useful reminder that island life beyond beach and tapas has a rhythm worth knowing – especially if you are staying.
For the next few days, in practical terms: drink plenty, avoid the midday sun, protect sensitive electronics from the dust, and if you have a hike planned, check the weather and risk status that same morning. The dusty tables are probably the least of your worries until early next week.
- What is a calima?
- A calima is Sahara dust carried over the Canary Islands on an easterly wind. The sky turns milky yellow, visibility drops, and a fine film of sand settles on furniture, laundry and cars. It happens several times a year, usually alongside heat.
- Is it dangerous to be outside during a calima?
- For most people a calima is unpleasant but harmless. Anyone with asthma or other respiratory problems should keep windows shut during stronger episodes and reduce strenuous activity outdoors, as recommended by the health ministry.
- Are hiking trails in the Canary Islands closed in summer?
- When wildfire risk is high, nature parks and hiking trails are closed at short notice, often overnight. If you are planning a hike, check the current status the same morning. The wildfire campaign officially runs from 1 June.