The fire should be as large as 6,000 hectares and about 9,000 people must have been evacuated, reports Spanish public service company RTVE. Both the nature reserves and popular tourist destinations are threatened by the flames.
According to Spain's Minister of Agriculture Luis Planas, the rescue effort on the island is one of the largest in the country's history.
- Today and tomorrow are crucial to how the fire will spread. It certainly does not mean that it is extinguished within two days, such a fire does change over time. But now we are facing a crucial stage, he says during a press conference on Monday.
"Very intense"According to Leif Sandahl, fire engineer at MSB, the fires in the Mediterranean region are considerably more extreme than the forest fires we have in Sweden.
- Such fires that occur in the Mediterranean area are very intense because it often blows heavily and is dry air, there will be no rainfall. In addition, the dry vegetation in Gran Canaria is quite fire-prone in itself, he says.
How bad can it be in Gran Canaria?
- The spread is happening as long as there is something combustible in front of the fire, I think it is not possible to enter with water from air. You can limit the fires behind and at the edges, and use the natural terrain obstacles that exist - or lots without any combustible. But it is not so easy, it requires planning.