The Level 2 forest fire that has affected the upper area of the municipalities of Los Realejos, San Juan de La Rambla and La Guacha It continues without being stabilized, waiting for the weather conditions to be a little more benevolent tonight, although they may not improve in the next 24 hours and therefore it will not stabilize in the short term.
The Canary Islands Government, in application of the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Response to Forest Fires (Infoca), took charge of managing the fire and decreed the preventive evacuation of the Fuente de Pedro camping area, the Barranco de la Arena Camp , the El Lagar and La Tahona recreational areas, as well as about 18 homes that were several kilometers from the fire front on the recommendation of the Civil Guard – in total there are about 28 adults and three minors who stay in second homes or in houses of family and friends-. In total, a hundred people have been evicted.
From 10:30 a.m., the nearby neighbors were nervous. Many went to the balconies or went up to the roofs to check the flames or the column of smoke.
Maira, one of those evicted along with her two minors in charge, denounced to Canarias Radio that she had to “leave just in time” from her house due to the possibility that the flames or smoke would reach her home. She recalled that the fire started at 10:20 a.m. and “we had been looking at it all morning, we received photographs and videos, and nobody told us anything so that we could start preparing a possible eviction,” she lamented.
He assured that the situation “has had to reach an extreme near limit so that they only gave us 10 minutes to vacate the house. Here in my house I have left everything, my belongings, clothes, etc., and they have left us in a state of vulnerability, and above all due to lack of foresight. They have not helped us to be able to remove some of my belongings, ”said she disappointed.
For its part, the Department of Social Services of Los Realejos had prepared accommodation in a hotel for those neighbors who asked for help.
In San Juan de la Rambla, houses in the upper area were also evicted in anticipation that it would affect the area. Its mayor, Ezequiel González, confirmed that “we have evicted 13 houses near the area as a precaution.” Red Cross enabled 50 beds for evicted people.
For his part, Antonio Hernández, mayor of La Guancha, confirmed the evacuation of some 60 camping children “from various municipalities on the island such as Tacoronte” who were evicted from the Barranco de la Arena Camp by the Civil Guard, the local Police and Civil Protection of the municipality in buses in anticipation of it affecting the area.
The authorities asked the population not to approach the area and to keep the access roads clear to facilitate the action of the media. Controlled access will only be allowed to neighbors who have to care for animals.
The residents of the highlands of Icod el Alto and San Juan de La Rambla live with their hearts in suspense every time the heat approaches. High temperatures, low humidity and the wind, which for now blows with less intensity than other times, are a breeding ground for a forest fire to become especially voracious in an abrupt area.
There is a supposed arsonist who puts their lives in check. “I hope he doesn’t repeat himself. The fire of 2007 was born in Los Campeches and reached Santiago del Teide”, recalls José. On other occasions they have “taken the start faster”, like last week, but it seems that “they are not going to stop it so easily”. “Like this, as long as they don’t stop it, it looks bad.” He hopes that before nightfall the helicopters “improved” the situation in the area of El Andén, in Los Realejos. The neighbors will experience another night of tense calm.
