Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain  - Spanish firefighters on Monday partially brought under control a wildfire which has destroyed dozens of houses and driven around 4,000 people from their homes on the Canary Island of La Palma, local officials said.

More than 200 firefighters brought one of the two fire fronts under control. A total of nine helicopters were being used to combat the blaze, which has devastated an estimated 2,000 hectares of vegetation in the southern half of the island since Friday.

Cooling temperatures were expected to aid the firefighting effort.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero visited La Palma over the weekend, promising subsidies to those who lost their houses or were unable to return home for the time being.

Police are still investigating the causes of the fire. (dpa)