July 21 2012 A Canary Island forest fire threatening a major tourist park raged out of control.

 

 A forest fire burns out of control in the Vilaflor municipality in the southern part of Tenerife island, a part of Spain's Canary Islands

Canary Islands -

A forest fire threatening a major tourist park in the Canary Islands raged out of control for a third day Tuesday, raising fears it could spread to populated areas.

Some 800 firefighters are trying to control the blaze on the island of Tenerife in the Spanish archipelago, which broke out on Sunday and has spread voraciously with the help of strong winds and high temperatures to engulf around 3 000 hectares.

The fire is threatening a national park on the Teide volcano, Spain's highest peak and a Unesco world heritage site. The 3 700-metre peak is in the south of Tenerife, a central island in the chain that sits off Africa's north-west coast.

All roads into the park have been cut off.

The fire has affected a “perimeter of between 2 800 and 3 000 hectares, of which 50 percent has been burnt,” a Canary Islands emergency spokeswoman said.

More than 60 people from the area were still unable to return to their homes Tuesday, after 90 were evacuated Monday.

Firefighters are using five helicopters and three water-bombing planes that arrived Tuesday from Spain to help battle the blaze.

Another four helicopters were working to put out a fire on another island, La Palma, that has engulfed around 500 hectares and forced more than 150 people to evacuate.

Spain has been hit particularly hard by forest fires this year after experiencing its driest winter in 70 years.

The worst fire ravaged 50 000 hectares in the eastern Spanish region of Valencia in July. – Sapa-AFP