About 800 people, including British and German tourists, have been evacuated from homes and hotels on the Spanish island of Ibiza because of the worst forest fire ever recorded on the Mediterranean resort.

Regional government emergency situations spokeswoman Asuncion Saiz said a fire that started on Wednesday has burned about 2,000 hectares of pine forest in the north of the island.

No one has been hurt. Some 300 local people were evacuated from their homes, and tour operators moved about 500 tourists from their hotels to other lodgings. Saiz said at no time were they in danger from the fire.

Saiz said 500 firefighters and 15 water-dumping planes are battling the blaze.

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