The fire, which broke out on Tuesday night, was raging through a forested area with steep ravines in the northeastern part of the island, part of the Canary Islands archipelago off northwestern Africa

"The fire is out of control, the scenario is not exactly very positive," the head of the regional government, Fernando Clavijo, said at a news conference in Tenerife late on Wednesday

Around 250 firefighters backed by 13 planes and helicopters, including three sent from mainland Spain, worked to contain the fire in an area difficult to reach, Clavijo said

The villages of Arrate, Chivisaya, Media Montana, Ajafona and Las Lagunetas were evacuated on Wednesday morning as a precaution because of thick smoke

Local authorities have cut off roads leading to the mountains on the northeastern part of the island