Britons are being urged to stay in touch with the Foreign Office as wildfires rage in the Canary Islands, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents.
Fires on the Canary islands of La Gomera and Tenerife, a favourite of UK holidaymakers, have led to the evacuation of up to 5,000 residents and the cutting off of many roads as precautionary measures, the regional government said.
A foreign office spokesperson said on Monday they were keeping a close eye on developments.
"As far as we are aware there have been no evacuations of British nationals.
"We are aware of the reports, which we are monitoring closely and we are advising British nationals to stay in touch."
As of yesterday afternoon, residents were being kept out of 18 towns and villages - eight on Tenerife and 10 on La Gomera.
The fires are also threatening some of Spain's most treasured national parks, including a Unesco world heritage site.
Regional officials said there was evidence that the fire on La Gomera was started deliberately as it had two focal points two miles apart that began burning within a short time of each other.
A statement said firefighting crews working on the islands were "finding it difficult to limit the spread of fire".
On La Gomera, one of the less popular tourist destinations in the Canaries, is Garajonay National Park, a world heritage site. It contains prehistoric woodland, dating back 11 million years, according to experts.
Aircraft that were previously dousing the fires with water when they first broke out a week ago were sent away as it was thought the fire was under control but winds and high temperatures have helped rekindle the flames, an official said.
The island is 850 miles off the coast of the mainland, so it can take up to a day for firefighting planes to return after being sent back to Spain's south-western tip.
A hot summer has followed a dry winter in Spain, with temperatures reaching 44C (111.2F) in southern areas in recent days. The state meteorological agency has warned of "a high risk of fires in the country".
Regional governments reported 10 wildfires raging across Spain yesterday.
Fires in Spain and other Mediterranean countries damage hundreds of thousands of acres every year.
The wildfires have not affected holiday resorts where many Britons could be staying but some excursions in Tenerife have been suspended, according to the travel association ABTA.
There are several forest fires affecting the Canaries, the Spanish mainland and Greece, they said.
Sean Tipton, ABTA spokesman, said: "ABTA and our members are closely monitoring a number forest fires in the Canary Islands of Tenerife and La Gomera, the Greek island of Kefalonia and Galicia in northern Spain.
Resorts have not been affected by the fires, though as a precaution tour operators have suspended some inland excursions on Tenerife."
Mr Tipton said "it would be safe to say" there are thousands of British holidaymakers on Tenerife at present.
He said Galicia and La Gomera hardly feature in the UK tourist market and Kefalonia is not one of the most popular Greek islands.
Flights have so far not been affected by the fires although some roads were closed on La Gomera and some non-British tourists were offered alternative hotels, according to Mr Tipton.
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PA/The Huffington Post UK | Posted: 13/08/2012 13:07 BST | Updated: 13/08/2012 13:11 BST