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| Canaries fires force evacuations | Canaries fires force evacuations |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Forest fires on two of Spain's Canary Islands have forced the evacuation of more than 9,000 people, local officials have said. | |
| The fires have burnt at least 24,000 hectares (59,000 acres) of land on the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. | The fires have burnt at least 24,000 hectares (59,000 acres) of land on the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. |
| More than 100 firefighters are working with eight water-bombing planes to extinguish the four-day blaze. | More than 100 firefighters are working with eight water-bombing planes to extinguish the four-day blaze. |
| On Saturday, police arrested a 37-year-old forest ranger who admitted to starting one of the fires. | |
| The man told police his job contract was about to expire and he wanted to keep working, according to the AP news agency. | |
| Local officials said that 5,200 people had been taken to safety on Gran Canaria and 4,200 people were evacuated from homes in Tenerife. |