Hundreds evacuated and man arrested as huge Gran Canaria fire destroys at least 2,500 acres of forest
- Local police said they had detained a man for allegedly starting the fire by using welding equipment
A huge fire raging on the Spanish holiday island of Gran Canaria has sparked the evacuation of hundreds of people and seen the arrest of a man suspected of lighting the blaze, authorities said Sunday.
Around 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) have so far been destroyed in the fire, which erupted Saturday in the western municipality of Artenara near the provincial capital of Las Palmas.
Some 1,000 residents evacuated overnight have not yet been allowed to return to their homes, emergency services said in a statement on Sunday.
Police said they had detained a man for allegedly starting the fire by using welding equipment.
Firefighters battling the flames seemed to have the upper hand by Saturday evening but a change in wind direction worsened the situation overnight, Canary Islands president Angel Victor Torres told Spanish radio COPE on Sunday.