Morocco sends planes to battle Spanish Island fire

Spain says Morocco is sending two water-carrying planes to help it battle a 10-day-old wildfire that has torched some 3,000 hectares of land on the Canary Island of La Gomera, including areas of a UNESCO World Heritage Site national park. Canary Island regional government spokeswoman Candelaria Ceballos says the extra planes and lower temperatures are raising hopes that firefighters may be more successful in curtailing the blaze Tuesday. Some 3,000 hectares of land has been burnt, including 800 hectares in the Garajonay National Park, which contains ancient woodlands, according to a report of the Associated Press. The Agriculture Ministry says 132,000 hectares have been destroyed by wildfires in Spain in the first seven months of 2012, more than triple the total burned in 2011. The tourist-popular Canary Islands are located off the northwest Africa, close to Morocco.