[swallow]

Thanks Goosey for your comment on the photo in the members gallery. I have quite alot of trouble making my pics the right size, first they are too big and then too small, so I give up!! I have to get the hang of it.

The fires in Gran Canaria and Tenerife followed a summer of exceptional heat and drought, unfortunately in both cases they were deliberately set by people with grudges.

In Gran Canaria there is still worry that about 12 species will be unable to regenerate. Many species of plants are endemic to the Canaries alone.
In Tenerife, the fires destroyed parts of the north and north west of the island, much of which has protected flora. Many villages were evacuated because of the risk and fumes from the smoke. Some villages only saved by a change of wind. The village of Masca, an amazing place, lost 4 houses. The Bishop's palace, a historic building was also lost. The Canarian pines are sprouting from their blackened trunks all over! But an entire youth and schools centre was burnt down on the Chinyero recreation site at Arenas Negras, a sad sight to see.