The fire devastates more than 110 hectares in Tenerife and it is ruled out that it will stabilize in the next few hours. This has been reported by the regional councilor for the Presidency, Justice and Security of the Canary Islands GovernmentJulio Pérez, who added that despite the fact that the figures may point to a slight fire, the meteorological combination is worrying, forcing us to “pay the utmost attention and take extreme precautions.”
In fact, it is expected that over the next few hours increase the area affected by the flamesso the firefighting teams will remain overnight, as long as conditions allow.
Until now, the perimeter of the fire is around five kilometers between the municipalities of Los Realejos and San Juan de la Rambla, the latter where the first major firefighting front is concentrating.
It is precisely in this locality where The first evictions have occurred: According to Julio Pérez, 31 neighbors have been evacuated from their homes “without having to set up a place to house them.”
The Security adviser indicated that the flames “remain relatively far from the population” and that these evacuations take place in a preventive manner. In the same way, caution is the argument put forward by the regional councilor to justify the prohibition of leisure activities in forest and recreational areas of all the municipalities that are between Santa Úrsula and Icod de Los Vinos “although the imminent arrival of the fire to these localities is not foreseen”.
The concern is, as both Pérez and the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Pedro Martín, agreed to point out, in the weather conditions that do not risk an easy control of the fire. High temperatures, low relative humidity and some wind “annoy” when it comes to putting out the fire.
To this is added that the area in which the fire has been declared is one of those that has registered “some of the worst fires in Tenerife”, according to the regional councilor who, as Martín did this morning, is one of the reasons that have led institutions to “use all available means” in extinguishing tasks since the outbreak was declared shortly after ten in the morning.
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The insular president recalled that “what was an attempt at the beginning, occurred in a area with serious history and with abundant material to feed the fire“, so from the first hour “the objective was to attack with all the fire”.
“The decision was made to have the troops corresponding to a level 2 although managed by the Cabildo,” said Martin, who stressed that a few hours later “due to the advance of the fire and with an increasingly wide radius of action” they bet to pass the level. “It was not that it began to affect the population, but it did we needed to have more ground personnel and when moving to level 2, the UME could be incorporated”.
Thus, up to ten air media have been added between media from Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and the Government of the Canary Islands and About 230 troops participate in the deviceof which 150 are directly dedicated to fighting the flames.
“Facing an emergency requires the sum of efforts on the part of all administrations and it has been like this since ten in the morning,” assured Julio Pérez, who reiterated that has asked the Government of Spain to send a seaplane to assist in firefighting.
The counselor and the insular president agreed that “it is difficult” for the State Executive to attend to this request immediately, taking into account that the devices are committed to attending to whats numerous fires that devastate the country “and that affect more than 10,000 hectares,” Pérez said.
While, Peter Martin He said “we are still waiting” for at least one seaplane to be sent, but he trusted that “the number of our own resources and the improvement of weather conditions tomorrow allow a more favorable forecast”.
