Wildfires displace thousands on Spanish islands

SPAIN, Alicante: Wildfires drove thousands of people from their homes near a rare nature reserve in Spain's Canary Islands Monday after a separate mainland blaze killed two, authorities said. On Sunday night thousands of people had flocked to the western port of Puerto de Vueltas on La Gomera, from where some caught boats for San Sebastian. Far away on the Spanish mainland, near the southeastern city of Alicante, a forest fire killed two members of the emergency team fighting the blaze, the regional government said. Firefighters battled through the night against the flames in the pine forests around Torre de les Macanes north of Alicante.