|  According to Tenerife president Ricardo Melchior, 70% of the Bishop's Palace in the historic centre of La Laguna, Tenerife, has already been destroyed by a fire which started this morning, and which continues to blaze.
The fire, which started on the second floor of the 17th century building, forced the evacuation of a number of houses in the calles Juan de Vera, Tabares de Cala, San Agustín and Anchieta, which, like the palace itself, were built mainly of wood.
The lady mayoress of La Laguna, Ana Oramas, said that she has written off the Palace, and that hydroplanes have been called in to tackle the flames from above. Not thought to be at risk, fortunately, is the historic episcopal archive, which is housed in a fireproof bunker. |
