Madrid, July, 17, (dpa/GNA) – A forest fire on the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canaries, has eased somewhat, the head of the island’s government, Sergio Rodríguez, told state broadcaster RTVE on Monday.
The fire that has been raging since Saturday morning near the town of Puntagorda in the north-west of the island, is not yet under control.
But most of the more than 4,200 people who were evacuated were allowed to return home on Sunday evening.
The authorities meanwhile reduced their estimate of the area affected by the flames, from around 4,700 to nearly 4,000 hectares, which corresponds to around 5,500 football pitches.
At least 20 homes were burned down, it said.
The flames have not spread since Sunday, or only very slowly.
According to official information, more than 500 emergency personnel were fighting the blaze on Monday, supported by a total of 11 firefighting aircraft and helicopters.
Rodríguez and a spokesman for the military emergency aid unit UME, Tomás Romero, both pointed out that weather conditions were helping.
The wind had died died down while temperatures were lower and humidity had increased, Romero explained in an interview with RTVE.
GNA