[1/2] A view of a wildfire in La Palma, Spain, July 15, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. 1-1-2 Canarias Via Twitter/Handout via REUTERSBARCELONA, July 15 (Reuters) - At least 2,000 people have been evacuated as a forest fire burned out of control in the Spanish island of La Palma, authorities said on Saturday, as Europe was gripped by a heatwave. Many parts of southern Spain saw scorching temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) last week and even higher temperatures are expected next week in Spain and across southern Europe. The fire in La Palma started in the early hours of Saturday morning in El Pinar de Puntagorda, a wooded area at the north of the island in the Canaries. It depends on whether we can bring these strong winds under control," Clavijo told reporters in La Palma.

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Persons: Marcos Lorenzo, Fernando Clavijo, Clavijo, Graham Keeley, Clelia Oziel, Christina Fincher Organizations: Via Twitter, REUTERS, La Palma, Canaries, La, Thomson Locations: La Palma, Spain, REUTERS BARCELONA, Spanish, Europe, La, El Pinar de Puntagorda, Puntagorda, Tijarafe, Canary, Tenerife, Africa