800 evacuated as wildfire spreads on Spain's Canary Island

Some 800 people have had to be evacuated on the Spanish island of Canary Island on Thursday as the result of a wildfire.

The fire began on Wednesday on the island's mountain, and to begin with, saw 400 people evacuated from the nearby towns of San Mateo, La Lechuilla and Lomo de los Ingleses.

Emergency services on Thursday reported the number of evacuees had doubled, although nobody needed medical attention.

The reasons for the fire still unknown. The authorities were caught by surprise by the speed it spread due to a combination of strong winds and excessively dry undergrowth.

A total of 300 firemen, including members of the Spanish Military Emergency Unit, worked overnight to try and stop the spread of the flames and were joined at on Thursday by seven helicopters and one aircraft. However, it is calculated that around 2,000 hectares of land have been devastated by the flames.

Several roads on the popular holiday island have also been cut to avoid any risks. Authorities have asked people to move away from any zones which could be at risk from the fire and schools have been closed in the town of Tejeda.