Holiday island among Spanish regions hit by fire

More than 4,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Spain’s Canary Islands because of forest fires that are difficult to control due to a heatwave and the added problem of strong winds, local authorities said yesterday.

The worst-hit areas are Tenerife and La Gomera, where temperatures have topped 40C since Friday, restarting fires that had been put out during the week after burning over 3,000 hectares since Aug 4.

The fires have destroyed 200 hectares in Tenerife and 470 hectares in La Gomera since Friday and some roads have been closed on both islands.