2,000 evacuated as fires rage on Spanish islands

Published November 20, 2014

Authorities say raging forest fires have led to the evacuation of some 2,000 people from a town in the center of Spain's popular tourist island of Tenerife.

Emergency services spokeswoman Carmina Lorenzo said residents were evacuated from Vilaflor on the fringe of the Teide National Park on Tuesday night.

She said Wednesday the park itself was not threatened.

The fires are not close to the main coastal tourist resort areas.

Lorenzo said firefighters are using some 20 water-carrying planes and helicopters to try and put out the three-day-old blaze that has affected some 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of land.

Smaller fires are also raging on the nearby islands of La Palma and La Gomera. The islands are part of the Canary Islands archipelago located near the western coast of Africa.

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