The Forest fire which was declared last Thursday in the area of Los Campeches, in Icod el Alto, Los Realejos, “is beginning to walk towards its end” and it is expected that in the coming days it may even drop to level 1, becoming under the direction of the Cabildo, said the Minister of Public Administrations, Justice and Security, Julius Perez.
Pérez stressed that, although yesterday was a hard day due to adverse weather with high temperatures and low humidity, the fire had few reactivations, in very few points and very localized, specifically on the slopes of Tigaiga and Chanajiga, so everything does indicate that it “appears to walk towards the control situation”.
The counselor pointed out that, if this situation continues in the coming days, the number of media that are working on the extinction work will be progressively reduced and possibly starting tomorrow he would lower level 2 to 1 so that it is the Cabildo de Tenerife the one that returns to assume the control of the emergency. Tomorrow there will be a significant reduction in temperatures and an increase in humidity.
In this way, during the night 70 people continued to work on extinction tasks and there were 44 in security and coordination tasks. During the day, 115 active troops gathered, while the current 11 aerial means continued to operate, 10 in extinction tasks and one in coordination.
As of yesterday, the aerial means discharged more than 3.5 million liters of water, while the teams in charge of the quartermaster served 3,700 food rations to the members of the entire operation. One of the fronts that caused concern in recent days, the one that affected the Teide National Park, stabilized yesterday morning due to the action of the aerial means, which later facilitated access to the area by land. The initial estimate of the directors of the Park is that 213 hectares of pine forest and 13 of broom would be affected, as well as some of the centennial cedars.
Marta Moreno, deputy director of the General Directorate of Security and Emergencies and technical director of Infoca, acknowledged that “it has been a complicated day with uncertainty due to the heat”, but it remained “within the control lines, without progress outside the perimeter” . The National Park area and the western area are “quite calm” and the one that worries the most is the slope of Tigaiga, “because of its high slopes and that it also runs the risk of landslides.” Therefore, there the operation is “waiting for the evolution of the fire.” Likewise, the evacuation of 38 people from their homes near this slope of Chanajiga is maintained. Today his situation will be studied again depending on the evolution of the last hours.
Moreno recalled that an agent from the National Park had to be treated for heat stroke, but that he is already at home, while two other brigade members suffered foot injuries, which highlights the steepness of the terrain. Regarding the weather, he pointed out that it responded to the forecasts, with maximums of 35ºC and an average wind of up to 10 km/h, with occasional gusts of 30. A drop in temperature is expected today and in the coming days.
During the night of yesterday 24ºC were expected and today a maximum of 32, starting to rise in the afternoon the relative humidity and the conditions will improve to consider the fire under control.
For their part, the technicians see with some concern the forecast for the 27th and 28th with a northerly wind that will make them “be vigilant” and could accelerate the fire in Tigaiga, an area that in the coming days “will require more attention”.
On the other hand, Pedro Martínez, Brifor’s technical manager for extinction, assured that Tigaiga’s problem is that land resources cannot “close the fire” in the area, given its inaccessibility, and, furthermore, there is a risk of fall of material that is burning and can create other foci.
He recognized some race on Teide, but practically in an isolated point early in the morning, while on the slope of Tigaiga “burnt areas and many points of smoke” can be seen very well. They are “small points, continuously cooled by aerial means”, without access by land, and some “could gain intensity during tonight”.
Pedro Martínez insisted that “the slope is worrying, because we cannot close it with land means” and the “risk is still there”. The perimeter of fire activity is reduced. “If the improvement is confirmed, we will have a different view,” he said.
The Councilor for Management of the Natural Environment of the Cabildo, Isabel García, pointed out that “we are in the best possible scenario, on the way to control.”
Hugo Morán: “All of Europe is under tremendous pressure”
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán, visited the Advanced Command Post and various areas of the fire to show his support for the human team working to combat the flames. He acknowledged that “all of Europe is under tremendous pressure and Spain is no exception.” Rarely have “operatives been so pressured as in recent weeks.” He welcomed the media response and the cooperation between the administrations. In addition, he appealed to citizen responsibility.
