Fierce fires destroyed more than 12,000 hectares of vegetation and prompted the evacuation of 7,000 residents in the Spanish Canary Islands, officials informed on Tuesday.

The worst Affected is Gran Canaria, the third largest island of the of the archipelago. About 5,200 people were forced out of their homes by the savage blaze since last Friday, the powerful wind and soaring heat fueling the fire over the weekend and cumbering the work of firefighters.

Mogan, Tejeda and San Bartolome de Tirajana are the most battered municipalities from the twenty-one composing the island. Approximately 10,000 hectares of forests and bush have been devoured by flames, forcing 1,000 tourists to interrupt their vacation in San Bartolome de Tirajana.

Dozens of homes have been devastated, firefighters, soldiers and even residents are battling the fast-spreading wildfire on six fronts, but with no rainfall in sight their work becomes even harder.

These fires are believed to be the worst in the islands history, where such incidents are not unusual but at lower intensity. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of this disaster after a forest ranger admitted that he started the fire intentionally in Gran Canaria because of discontent regarding his work contract.

Similar fires were reportedly burning near Valencia, Huelva and Cordoba in the southern autonomous region of Andalusia.