On July 15, Spanish authorities said that a forest fire on La Palma island forced the evacuation of about 2,500 people.
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| Authorities have called in additional forces from the neighboring island of Tenerife and a team from the Spanish Army's Emergency Unit to help fight the fire. (Source: globeecho) |
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of July 15, spread to an area near the municipality of Puntagorda in the northwest of the Canary Islands, where houses and farms are interspersed with pine forests, bushes and fields, local authorities said.
Speaking to the press, Spanish Tourism Minister Hector Gomez emphasized that the fire broke out and spread rapidly in a very short time.
About 300 firefighters with the support of aircraft have been mobilized to control the fires, amid difficulties caused by strong winds and hot, dry weather.
The head of the Canary Islands government, Fernando Clavijo, said the government had activated the Civil Protection Emergency Plan due to the forest fires and by the evening of the same day had evacuated more than 2,500 residents.
Spain has had a particularly dry spring, with March and April seeing record high temperatures and low rainfall. Last week, much of the country entered its second heatwave of the summer with temperatures above 40C, and another heatwave is expected next week.
Authorities in most regions of central and southern Spain have issued warnings of the risk of forest fires.
According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), Spain suffered nearly 500 forest fires in 2022, burning more than 300,000 hectares.
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