The wildfire at La Palma, one of Spain's Canary Islands, has raged out of control, forcing more than 2,000 people to evacuate as of Saturday, according to authorities.
The raging wildfire has burned more than a dozen homes and razed 4,500 hectares, AP reported. Officials said that the situation could turn even worse in the heat wave. "The fire has spread very fast. The fire is out of control," said Canary Islands regional president Fernando Clavijo.
Clavijo also advised people to obey calls for evacuation, as several people did not want to leave their homes. At least 10 aircraft were tackling the spreading fire and water dropping planes are expected to arrive.
According to Vicente Rodríguez, the mayor of Puntagorda, a village in La Palmamayor, the area under his municipality has seen below-average rainfall in recent years, just like large parts of the drought-stricken mainland, as a consequence of shifting weather patterns.
Two years ago, a three-month volcanic eruption had struck La Palma, causing significant damage but no casualties. Nearly 3,000 buildings were buried along with several banana plantations, roads and irrigation systems.
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