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1,000 evacuated following Gran Canaria fire

Around 1,000 people have been evacuated in Gran Canaria following a large forest fire.

The fire has destroyed almost 2,000 hectares of land after it broke out on Saturday. The areas of Artenara, Tejeda and Gáldar have been evacuated.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown and so far no injuries have been reported.

Two hundred firefighters and 10 water-dumping aircraft were deployed to combat the blaze.

The Gran Canaria fire brigade tweeted: “We are overwhelmed by the situation. We continue working and fighting for our island.”

The island is currently experiencing high temperatures of more than 32C which is increasing the difficulty of containing the fire.

The UK Foreign Office has not changed its advice for travellers heading to Spain, however it has warned that temperatures, “regularly reach over 40C in Spain during the summer months” and that this brings an “increased risk of forest fires.”

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