Spanish authorities evacuate some 500 people to escape a wildfire on the Canary island of La Palma

By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish authorities say that they have preemptively evacuated some 500 people to avoid a wildfire that has broken out on the Canary island of La Palma. The regional president of the Canary Islands Fernando Clavijo says that the number of evacuees could easily rise and that the blaze has destroyed 11 homes. The fire coincides with a heatwave that is hitting southern Europe. Spain recorded record high temperatures in 2022 and this spring as it endures a prolonged drought. Authorities and forestry experts are concerned that the conditions are ripe for a difficult wildfire campaign after seeing virulent fires as early as March.