Forest fire on Canary Island - flames spread rapidly on La Palma
Forest fire on Canary Island - flames spread rapidly on La Palma
The Canary Island of La Palma was hit by a forest fire over the weekend. The wildfire spread rapidly after it began on Friday evening.
The Daily Telegraph described the fire as "raging out of control". 500 firemen spent the weekend tackling the blaze, which devastated around 5,000 acres of pine forest. It is thought that the fire on La Palma is now under control.
The fire broke out on the southern tip of La Palma and destroyed dozens of houses in the town of Fuencaliente. Military aircraft were brought in to try and extinguish the flames.
Many holidaymakers were unable to catch their flights home from the Canary Island due to road closures. 4,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes.
Locals believe that the fire could have been caused by a firework during local fiestas. Wildfires have already destroyed approximately 75,000 hectares of land across Spain this summer.
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