Over 9,000 people have been evacuated after wildfires broke out in Gran Canaria. The fires have been ripping through the popular holiday destination in the Canary Islands since Saturday, burning more than 23 square miles of land. Over 700 firefighters, as well as 14 planes and aircraft have been deployed to tackle the blaze.
The fires are not easily accessible and high temperatures, combined with strong winds are making it near on impossible to distinguish the 50m flames. Gran Canaria’s coastal towns and residential areas have not been affected.
Earlier this month, 1,000 people were evacuated after a blaze broke out on the island. Over 200 firefighters and ten air crafts worked tirelessly to distinguish the flames which burnt more than 1000 hectares of land.
It is not yet known whether flights to and from the island have been affected.
Holidaymakers who are concerned about travelling to the Spanish island and have booked a package holiday should speak to their tour operator or travel agent. It is important to note that the company is under no legal obligation to amend the booking or provide a refund unless the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have advised against travelling to the destination. In this case, available options will depend on the travel agents’ or tour operators’ terms and conditions.
Those who booked their holiday independently can check the cover available under their travel insurance. Holidaymakers will need to check if their travel insurance policy offers cover for force majeure or natural disasters, without this cover claims relating to the wildfires will not be covered. More on force majeure can be found here.
The exception to this is travel insurance policies that offer cover for cancellation for any cause. Disinclination to travel due to the wildfires will not be covered.
