The fire in Los Realejos rises to level 2 and will be activated at the UME

The Forest fire declared this Thursday the municipality of The Realejos (north of Tenerife), in the area of ​​Los Campeches, continues to advance and, despite efforts to suffocate it, it has not yet been controlled. The regional government has reported that, due to the progress of the flames, the fire is already at level 2, so the Military Emergency Unit (UME) will be activated. There are no houses affected, for the moment, since it started in a mountain area.

The five westernmost islands, again on alert due to the risk of forest fires

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The objective is to help the members of the forestry brigades in ground work with the low scrub and brambles while the two helicopters mobilized by the Cabildo and the GES (Emergencies and Rescue Group) operate from the air.

The president of the Cabildo, Pedro Martín, has also indicated that the Government of the Canary Islands has been asked to activate another two helicopters, one of them kamov type, and the Cabildo of La Gomera the Air Tractor with retardant liquid.

The objective of this deployment is that the fire “does not get out of hand” as it did in 2007, since it is an area with a lot of brush that can fuel the flames.

He has indicated that the UME has been activated to get reinforcements on the ground and prevent the extension of the surface of the fire and that the embers go out.

“We are seeing how it is moving and it could be stopped, but it is as important to be in the front as not to leave embers behind, that is the job”, he commented, highlighting that it favors that there is little wind and temperatures, although they are high, “They are not fired.”

Martín has shown his desire that the fire can be contained for the next few hours and valued that there are very few houses in the area, so the access of people who are not related to the security device will be restricted.

He has also said that the safety of the personnel is “fundamental” and therefore they must study how to access the area because “there are very narrow agricultural tracks and it is not easy to get there.”

In the place there are already air and land resources, such as the Tenerife Forestry Brigade and firefighters from La Orotava park.

Shortly before noon, a helicopter from the Emergency and Rescue Group (GES) of the Government of the Canary Islands joined the extinction work, which is already discharging water in the affected area. Aerial media dependent on the Cabildo de Tenerife have also attended.

The president of the Cabildo, Pedro Martín, has gone to the place to assess the situation.

It so happens that the island is on alert due to the risk of forest fire due to the high temperatures that have been recorded in recent days. For this reason, since last Wednesday, the Cabildo activated extraordinary measures of degree 1 for the prevention of forest fires, which implies that the cultural use of fire is prohibited (agricultural and forestry burning, prescribed, stubble, scrub, waste… .) and recreational (barbecues, bonfires, camp fires and gas stoves, among others).

In the same way, the use of any type of machinery or tool that can project sparks (brushcutters, welding equipment or radial cutters) and the use of any pyrotechnic material in risk areas is suspended.

(There will be expansion)