Fire-fighting aircraft deployed to Gran Canaria
Two planes and nine fire-fighting helicopters have been deployed on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria as wildfires rage on two fronts, prompting the evacuation of more than 4,000 people.
Around 700 firefighters are attempting to contain the blaze, including 200 military personnel, although their efforts are being hampered by high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity.
The Spanish Central Government has received an official request for assistance from the Canary Islands’ Regional President Angel Victor Torres, who told a news conference that ‘the fire is not contained, nor stablised or controlled’. The fires are reported to have started near the town of Tejada, which is popular with tourists, and so far 1,700 hectares of land has been burnt.
You can see videos of the aircraft working hard to contain the blazes here:
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