A “large-scale” fire, as described by Firefighters of Tenerife, it was declared yesterday afternoon in some fuel tanks located in the decontamination area of the company Desguaces Insulares SL, an industry located on Camino Hermano Pedro, San Isidro, Tenerife municipality of Granadilla. Fortunately, the rapid intervention of the extinguishing operation managed to control the fire and early in the evening work was already underway to extinguish the last source that was still active. The Councilor for Security of Granadilla and the Island Director of Security, Rubén Fernández, confirmed that the fire was perimeter, that the worst was over and, as a precautionary measure, a checkpoint would be maintained throughout the night made up of firefighters , Civil Guard and Local Police to avoid the possible reactivation of any focus.
The fact that most of the stored vehicles were found without decontamination caused explosions of batteries, tires and fuel tanks that caused alarm and concern. And although the scrapyard occupies a huge area, in the ravine attached to the Hermano Pedro path, only part of the northern part of the facility was affected and, furthermore, thanks to the low intensity and the direction in which the wind blew , the dense column of black smoke did not affect the residents of towns close to the fire, such as San Isidro, the Los Cardones urbanization, Casablanca, La Tejita or El Médano, nor did it affect the operations of the Reina Sofía airport, whose runway is located a little more than half a kilometer to the southwest. As a precautionary measure, the Cabildo de Tenerife recommended through social networks that people who were in the area affected by the column of smoke to withdraw or remain confined inside their homes. In the same way, caution was indicated to the people who were circulating on the South highway at that time.
Although one of the hypotheses considered is that the fire could have started in an oil deposit, this point must be confirmed by the Civil Guard investigators.
Thirty firefighters from the San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Adeje and Guía de Isora fire stations participated in the extinction work, with the support of six heavy urban pumps, one escalator, two command and control units, one personnel and cargo unit, three mother pumps and a GES helicopter for reconnaissance and perimeter work. Also to the Civil Guard, Local Police, road service and an ambulance from the Canary Emergency Service, as a preventive measure.
Served four people
Up to four people had to be treated by personnel from the Canary Emergency Service (SUC) as a result of the effects of the fire. A 52-year-old man, an employee of the scrapyard, presented intoxication due to smoke inhalation and moderate tachycardia, for which he was transferred in a basic life support ambulance from the SUC to the San Isidro Health Center. Likewise, the health team also assisted three firefighters who were involved in the extinction tasks, all due to smoke inhalation, transferring one of them to the health center. The company Desguaces Insulares SL has been based next to the Cueva del Santo Hermano Pedro road since 1991 and it is the first time in 30 years that it has suffered a fire of this size in its facilities. This industry has three other centers on the Island that are located in Icod de Los Vinos, La Orotava and La Cuesta.