Officials say high temperatures and brisk winds are hampering efforts to combat wildfires that are spreading across some of Spain's most precious natural parks, including one that is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Fires on the Canary islands of La Gomera and Tenerife have forced the evacuation of more than 4,000 residents as a precautionary measure, the regional government said Sunday.

Casimimo Curbelo, local government leader of La Gomera, said: "We are living through hell, we have asked the central government for more resources with which to fight the fire."

At the heart of his island lies Garajonay National Park, which experts say contains woodlands that have survived since the Tertiary age, 11 million years ago.

Regional governments have reported that 10 wildfires are raging across Spain on Sunday.