Monday, 12 August 2019 08:28

Gran Canaria Fire Now Extinguished

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Fighting the fire in Gran Canaria Fighting the fire in Gran Canaria

Tejeda has been evacuated after strong winds reactivated the Gran Canaria fire and pushed flames towards the town. The fire is currently out of control and spreading on several fronts.

The entire population of Tejeda town, around 1000 people, has been evacuated to San Mateo while outlying areas of Artenara have also been evacuated. At one point last night Artenara, Gran Canaria's highest village, was completely surrounded by fire. Observers described the overnight scenes in Gran Canaria's highlands as Dantesque with huge flames and winds gusting at over 70 kilometres per hour!

Dawn revealed that the fire, fuelled by strong winds, is growing on several fronts close to Tejeda and Artenara and is currently out of control. However, with the daylight fire-fighting helicopters and planes have started to drop water again and there is hope that the fire's advance can be slowed or controlled. The wind has dropped although strong gusts are still forecast over the next couple of days. 

The centre of Gran Canaria remains completely off limits to everyone who isn't part of the fire-fighting effort.

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Read 6159 times Last modified on Saturday, 17 August 2019 13:17
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Tip of the day

  • Tip Of The Day: Avoid Bank Card Charges By Paying In Euros
    Tip Of The Day: Avoid Bank Card Charges By Paying In Euros

    Save money and avoid rip-off bank charges while in Gran Canaria by paying in euros when using your credit or debit card.

    Many bars and restaurants in Gran Canaria, and in almost all European holiday destinations, give you the option of paying in euros or in your home currency. Opting for your own currency, while it may seem like the safer option, can add as much as 5% to the bill as it triggers dynamic currency conversion. 

    DCC basically means that the exchange rate is calculated at point of sale rather than by your bank. It allows you to see the total cost of the transaction in your own currency but adds up to 5% to the total because it uses a terrible exchange rate. 

    Since the extra money is shared between your bank and the merchant, some places will automatically bill you in your own currency and hope you don't notice. You have the legal right to refuse and void the transaction should this happen. 

    ATMs too

    The same applies when taking money out of ATM machines in Gran Canaria (and anywhere in Europe); Always choose the local currency option to avoid losing money to poor exchange rates.

    If you opt for the local currency option, using bank ATMs is often the cheapest and safest way of getting euros in Gran Canaria. It's far safer than having a big pile of euros hidden in your room or tucked into your shorts.

    More details in this Daily Telegraph article.

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