Forest Fire Rages on Spanish Island of Ibiza

Firefighters are battling a forest blaze on the popular Spanish Mediterranean island of Ibiza that has razed hundreds of hectares of woodland and forced the evacuation of some 80 people.

Regional government Interior Department spokeswoman Asuncion Saez said the fire was located in the north of the island near the town of Sant Joan de Labritja.

She said officials had yet to calculate how many hectares of woodland had been burnt but that it was likely to be between 500 and 1,000 (1,200 to 2,500 acres).

She said the evacuations had been carried out preventively and that neither lives nor houses were in danger for now.

Defense Minister Carme Chacon was to fly to the island to oversee the operation.