He Mayor of Los RealejosAdolfo González, announces that the Government sub-delegation authorizes, as of today, the installation of eight surveillance cameras to control possible fires in the area of Los Campeches, in the nucleus of Icod el Alto, where 106 fires have occurred since the year 2000. González revealed this information during the press conference in which the President of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, announced that the Island Corporation is a person in the case opened by the Investigating Court Number 5 of La Orotava against an individual detained as the alleged perpetrator of an intentional fire in that environment on July 14. Dávila and González were accompanied by the island councilors José Miguel Ruano, in charge of legal services, and Blanca Pérez, from Medio Natural, as well as the head of the Cabildo’s BRIFOR, José Maria Sánchez. Dávila stressed that this type of aggression against natural heritage and people and their property “can never go unpunished.” The president wanted to thank the joint work of all the administrations when it came to fighting the fires and elucidating their causes. “The advances that have been made are the result of many years of work and investigation by the Judicial Unit of the Puerto de la Cruz National Police, the Seprona of the Civil Guard, the environmental agents of the Cabildo and the Los Realejos City Council” he summarized.
Also the Realejos
The realejero mayor announced that the municipality will also appear in the cause. He did not want to detail where the eight authorized cameras will be located or their characteristics for “obvious security reasons”, although he did reveal that they will be located on publicly owned roads, tracks or paths. He added that “from the municipal area of Security and Emergencies, with Councilor Carolina Toste at the head and the contribution of reports from the Local Police, the file was prepared to request the authorization of cameras, at the express request of the Local Extraordinary Security Board on fire prevention held last April “. González assessed that “from this Mayor’s Office the instructions have already been issued for the corresponding contracting file for the acquisition of cameras and the video surveillance and recording service.”
defend the island
Rosa Dávila underlined the intention to “defend Tenerife and its inhabitants” with this measure and highlighted collaboration between administrations as a key in the arrest of the person accused. The president stressed the “unity and strength” of the state, insular and municipal institutions. None of those appearing wanted to link the arrest of this alleged arsonist with other similar cases that occurred before in the area of Los Campeches, a hotspot for twenty years where two large fires have originated. In 2007, more than 18,000 hectares were burned and last year almost 3,000 in an event that affected several municipalities. José María Sánchez, an expert with 18 years of fighting fire in the mountains of Tenerife, ended up asking the population for “prudence” because a simple poorly extinguished cigarette butt can cause an environmental catastrophe.
the natural setting
The Protected Landscape of Los Campeches, Tigaiga and Ruiz constitutes the same geographical and landscape unit, integrated by these three natural spaces, located to the west of the Valley of La Orotava within the municipality of Los Realejos. It is a rugged landscape of great beauty and outlined by large escarpments. In Icod el Alto and Los Campeches, a very sparsely inhabited area, plots of crops and some scattered houses are common, linked to farms, which make up an agricultural landscape of high cultural value. Potatoes and cereals, especially wheat, are the predominant crops, in addition to bananas, although their area is scarcer, being located at the mouth of the Ruiz ravine and the cliffs. The cultivation of potatoes par excellence is rainfed. This protected natural space has become an enclave of great importance for the preservation of endangered animal and plant species, being declared a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA), within the framework of European environmental regulations.
