Forest fires rage for 2nd day on Spanish Canary Island
(NECN) – Strong winds fanned forest fires for a second day on Sunday on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma, with firefighters forced to retreat as flames raged out of control near two towns. A large plume of smoke could be seen rising from the 706 square kilometer ( 273 square mile) island’s southern tip where fires were active on two fronts. Firefighters on the eastern side of the island had to pull back due to intense fires near the towns of Fuencaliente and Tigalete, regional authorities said. Dramatic amateur video footage from Fuencaliente on Saturday evening showed the ferocity of the blaze as large flames raged on the slopes behind a row of houses. Some four-thousand residents were evacuated from the area on Saturday. On Sunday, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero visited areas affected by the fire, meeting with the president of the Canary Islands regional government, Paulino Rivero, and viewed firefighting efforts. “There has been damage to the forests on the island but we are lucky that we have the Canarian pine tree which is very resistant,” Zapatero said, adding that the government would pass a special aid package for the area in the next government meeting on 13 August. Flames have so far destroyed some 50 homes in Fuencaliente, according to the mayor, Gregorio Alonso. Several small wineries that once made artisan-quality wines from the region’ s renowned Malvasia grapevines have also been lost to the flames. Around 500 firefighters have been deployed to the area along with seven water-dropping aircraft. Officials were worried the fire could spread north toward Caldera de Taburiente national park, home to several endangered native species such as the Canary Islands Juniper. Environmental officials said several fires started almost simultaneously, usually a sign they could be man-made. All together around two-thousand hectares (five-thousand acres) had been destroyed by fire by midday on Sunday. The following video is from Pool and amateur.
