People who were evacuated from their homes look at a helicopter dropping water to fight a forest fire seen in the village of Valleseco, in the Canary Island of Gran Canaria, Spain, August 17, 2019. REUTERS/Borja Suarez
MADRID: Authorities in Spain's Canary Islands say a wildfire that is throwing flames 50 meters (160 feet) into the air has forced emergency services to evacuate more than 5,000 people.
Canary Islands President Ángel Víctor Torres says 1,100 firefighters are being deployed Monday on Gran Canaria, a mountainous volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago off northwest Africa.
He says 14 water-dropping aircraft are due to join the battle against the blaze, which started on Saturday and has charred more than 3,400 hectares (8,400 acres).
Local fire officials say emergency workers are facing huge flames and treacherous wind shifts that are blowing embers into the air, starting secondary fires.
Gran Canaria is famous for its beaches and mountains. The island and its capital, Las Palmas, are popular European vacation destinations.
