2,000 Evacuated as Wildfire Rages in Spain's Canary Islands
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – More than 2,000 people have been evacuated in a small town in the Spanish holiday island of Gran Canaria island as a wildfire is raging through the region.
The blaze, which started in the town of Valleseco on Saturday evening, was moving fairly quickly.
An emergency area was declared for the municipalities of Moya and Tejeda. Some 2,000 people in the town of Tejeda and several other districts were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The affected area covered 1,000 hectares, and the neighborhoods concerned includes the municipalities of Artenara, Tejeda and Galdar, local authorities said, Xinhua news agency reported.
It will be a difficult night ahead as strong gusts of wind are forecasted, said Canarian Government Security Councilor Julio Perez.
Water-dropping helicopters and ground firefighters are working to tackle the blaze.