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Ibiza wildfire forces evacuation of 1,000 locals and tourists
May 27, 2011, 9:39 GMT
Palma de Majorca, Spain - A wildfire was raging Friday on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza, where about 1,000 residents and tourists have been evacuated from their homes and from several hotels, officials said.
The blaze razed an estimated 2,000 hectares of vegetation in Serra de Morna in the east of the island.
Flames came to a distance of a few hundred metres from the locality of Sant Joan de Labritja, forcing the evacuation of locals and tourists from the area. The fire left hundreds of people without electricity on the island.
The wildfire - the biggest ever recorded on Ibiza - erupted on Wednesday. A beekeeper has been detained on charges of accidentally sparking it when using his smoker.
More than 400 firefighters and soldiers were battling the flames with the help of 16 airplanes and helicopters.
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