Almost a quarter of the population of La Gomera, around 5,000 people, have had to be evacuated from their homes as the forest fire continues to ravage the island.
According to technicians working to control the fire, the prognosis is ‘bad’ due to high temperatures, low humidity, changing winds and rugged terrain.
This morning, the inhabitants of the town of Vallehermoso were evicted from their homes as a safety measure. Some 900 people were evacuated by sea from Valle Gran Rey after it took less than an hour for fire to descend the mountain and reach the Health Centre. Thirty houses were destroyed by the blaze.
The fire has destroyed 5,000 hectares of land – equivalent in size to 6,100 international football pitches.
Three water bombers and seven helicopters are currently involved in controlling the fires with a fourth hydroplane arriving today and another arriving from the mainland tomorrow.