Around 4,000 people have been evacuated as wildfires rips through Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.

Axar.az reports citing

The fire, which started on Saturday, is advancing on two fronts in a mountainous area of the island.

Ten planes and helicopters, as well as about 700 firefighters on the ground including 200 from the military, are fighting the flames.

Efforts to tackle the fires are being hampered by high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity, officials say.

"The fire is not contained nor stabilised or controlled," Canary Islands regional president Angel Victor Torres told a news conference.

Requests for assistance had been made to the Spanish central government, he added.