Firefighters are battling wildfires on the Spanish island of Tenerife which have forced some 3,000 people to leave their homes for safety.

The blaze started on Wednesday (October 4) which was sparked by high temperatures and strong winds.

Emergency services have requested assistance from the military.

Tenerife and the neighbouring island of Gran Canaria are under a heat alert, with temperatures soaring above 30C across much of the island.

Some 120 agents including soldiers and firefighters were taking part in the operation to put out the fire, the Canary Islands government said.

Where are the wildfires taking place on Tenerife?

The wildfires on Tenerife are affecting the towns of Santa Ursula and La Orotava in the mountainous northeast of the island, which is away from the main tourist areas in Tenerife’s southwest.

The same area suffered one of the island’s worst wildfires in decades in August when 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland were burned and some 12,000 residents evacuated over several weeks.

Although that wildfire was brought under control it was never fully extinguished. Small fires have continued to break out periodically in the same area due to winds and high temperatures.

Both the island's airports are still operational, Sky News reports.

Joe Cawley, a travel writer based in Tenerife, told Sky News: "The impact is solely in the north at the moment. This obviously comes after the larger August fires but this is worrying sign that they have started again.

"The temperatures have increased and we are in that dangerous 30/30/30 situation. That's 30% humidity, 30km breezes and over 30C, which is what usually triggers these fires.

"This fire is in a particularly steep part of the island and its amongst pine trees, brambles and heather, so there is a lot more smoke being created and I think that's the main reason behind the evacuations."