The Forest fire that began last Thursday in the area of Los Campeches, in Icod el Alto (Los Realejos) continued to affect yesterday, in addition to the aforementioned town, those of San Juan de la Rambla, La Guancha and Icod de los Vinos, as well as that of La Orotava, not as a burnt area, but as a result of occasional evictions in one of its streets.
In the Chanajiga area and the Tigaiga slope, the priority of attack by the extinction services is maintained. In the morning, almost 2,500 hectares of surface and 26 kilometers of perimeter were affected.
The preventive eviction of 584 people has been registered, of which 423 are from the municipality of Los Realejos. Some have been located with family and friends, while the Consistory chaired by Adolfo González reported that “more than 200 people have been relocated in hotel facilities in Los Realejos and Puerto de la Cruz, in 104 rooms, for which the technical services of the City Council from several of its departments”. Likewise, with veterinary services and neighborhood collaboration, the transfer of livestock and pets has been guaranteed.
Melissa García, councilor of the PSOE in the City Council of Los Realejos and one of those evacuated last Saturday, pointed out that “it was very hard for everyone. In addition to being one of those affected, she had to maintain her integrity, give them encouragement, hope and convince them that the eviction was a precautionary measure. I’ve been from Las Llanadas since I was born, so it was very hard to break the news to your relatives (there are 50 evicted people), neighbors and friends, and we burst into tears together, hugging each other and convincing ourselves that this would be a bad memory, and that soon we would go back to our homes,” he said on the Tierra de Alisios program on Canarian Television.
He recalled that all of the members of the corporation “we divided house by house, giving advance notice to the neighbors, and giving a message of calm in the face of the advance of the fire on the slope of Tigaiga, but, in turn, recommending that they prepare some things before a possible eviction if the authorities, when the time comes, give us that order. It was also a psychological preparation, so they could take their most important belongings and their animals, so that they could be relocated”, he pointed out.
Questioned by what she was able to collect, she stated that “it is a very hard moment, you have to live it and it is not something that anyone considers. We had recently seen the people of La Palma affected by the volcano and in other catastrophes, but at this moment you are shocked”. “In the end, I have taken family photos and very close memories, two changes of clothes, documentation and little else,” acknowledged the Las Llanadas neighbor, who is staying at her brother’s house. In the next few hours she hopes to return to her home.
