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Britons describe fire on Madonna's 'Isla Bonita'
Ben Bailey3 Aug 2009
British tourists told today how flames ripped through a holiday island made famous in a song by Madonna.
But although around 4,000 local residents have had to be evacuated from parts of La Palma in the Canary Islands, all Britons are safe and are carrying on with their holidays, UK travel organisation Abta said.
Thomson Holidays is among the UK tour companies which operates flights to La Palma, which was the subject of the Madonna hit La Isla Bonita.
Strong winds have fanned forest fires on the island, with one blaze raging close to the tourist town of Fuencaliente.
British holidaymaker Cath Watkin told the BBC's website how the flames came dangerously close to her hotel on the island.
She said: "We experienced extremely hot, searing winds, and then woke up in the early hours of Saturday morning to very, very thick, choking smoke from the fires, extremely hot outside.
"The fire was actually very close. The hotel is actually at the bottom of the mountain, the fires were raging on the mountain behind the hotel."
Fires have also broken out on the nearby island of La Gomera where First Choice Holidays is one of the UK companies operating. Those fires are now under control.
Abta spokesman Sean Tipton said today: "We have spoken to all the companies with clients in La Palma and they have said that everyone is all right and carrying on with their holidays.
"La Palma is one of the smaller of the Canary Islands and there are not a huge number of Britons there at the moment. We will continue to monitor the situation closely."
