Smoke Billows from Gran Canaria Wildfire

A wildfire on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria had burned more than 8,400 acres by Sunday, August 18, local media said, citing officials.

More than 5,000 people were evacuated from 40 towns in the municipalities of Valleseco, Moya, Gáldar, Agaete, San Mateo, Artenara, and Tejeda, with more evacuations expected, Ángel Víctor Torres, the President of the Canary Islands, said in a press conference.

The land and aerial resources used in combatting the fire were the largest ever deployed for a blaze in the Canary Islands, the president said.

This footage shows flames and a giant plume of smoke in Fagajesto. Credit: Carreteras GC via Storyful