'OUT OF CONTROL'
Urgent warning as raging wildfire rips through Brit holiday hotspot in Spain sparking mass evacuation of 4,000 residents
AT least 4,000 people have been evacuated as a wildfire rages "out of control" on the popular Spanish island of La Palma.
The blaze erupted in the early hours of Saturday in El Pinar de Puntagorda, a wooded area in the north of the island - forcing terrified residents to flee.
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Ten aerial units and 300 firefighters on the ground sought to bring the wildfire under control, as terrified residents from the villages of Puntagorda and Tijarafe were forced to evacuate.
The Canary Islands Government has issued a Level 2 emergency alert as firefighters battle the raging inferno.
Shocking footage showed smoke billowing from a forested area on a hillside, spreading towards homes and vehicles.
Officials said at least 20 houses were destroyed as the fire advanced, and it has now affected more than 114,904 acres of land.
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“The fire has spread very fast,” said Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands.
“The fire is out of control."
"There has been some resistance by local people to leaving their homes, but I appeal to people to be responsible," he added.
The Red Cross has set up a facility in Tijarafe for those who have been evacuated - and another is being set up in a sports centre in Los Llanos de Aridane.
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In Tenerife, another of the eight Canary Islands, a forest fire, which broke out on Saturday, forced the evacuation of 50 people and destroyed about 60 hectares, authorities said.
It comes as Brit holidaymakers were warned over a "red alert" heatwave on the Canary Islands as temperatures reached 41C earlier this week.
A map by Spain's meteorological agency AEMET showed that sizzling temperatures hit Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and Santa Cruz de la Palma.
The highest was recorded in Gran Canaria where the mercury exceeded 40C.
The soaring temperatures led AEMET to activate an orange warning - which was raised to a red warning on Thursday.
Weather experts have declared 2023 an El Niño year - a natural phenomenon that occurs cyclically and causes fluctuations in the global climate.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization said it will raise temperatures around the world, and the effect is likely to continue for the rest of the year.
Spain was hit by the deadly heatwave that is passing through Europe alongside Italy, Greece, France and Cyprus.
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Parts of Spain saw the mercury rising to a roasting 45C while in Italy health officials issued red alert warnings for eight cities.
In Greece, the temperatures are also expected to rise to 44C in the coming days.
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