The fire in Tenerife is already spreading through eight municipalities on the island, specifically Candelaria, Arafo, El Rosario, La Orotava, Santa Ursula, La Victoria, El Sauzal and Tacoronte, while the affected hectares continue to rise, already reaching 3,273, extending in a perimeter of 41 kilometers.
The breakdown by municipality is as follows: 1,134 hectares are affected in Candelaria, 1,089 in Arafo, 505 in El Rosario, 270 in La Orotava, 160 in Santa Úrsula, 60 in La Victoria, 39 in El Sauzal and 12 hectares in Tacoronte.
The fire continues to advance without control, although the defensive lines in the main population centers are beginning to take effect. The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has highlighted the complexity of the fire and the difficulty in extinguishing work due to the orography, weather, wind or visibility, which also makes the tasks of aerial means difficult.
200 troops overnight
During the day of this Thursday, there have been 260 troops and 226 downloads have been made, which have cooled some areas. This Friday, 16 aerial means will be available, with the incorporation of the Kamov helicopter on Saturday. In the early hours of this Thursday to Friday there will be 200 troops fighting the flames.
The Canarian president has informed that the Arafo pavilion has been closed and that of Candelaria, La Orotava, La Perdoma is maintained, while one is going to be opened in Los Salesianos, also in the municipality of La Orotava.
One flank worries “a lot”
The president of the Cabildo de Tenerife has explained that there is a flank that worries “a lot”, which especially affects La Orotava, Santa Úrsula and, to a lesser extent, El Sauzal and La Matanza. With respect to the right flank, which affects Candelaria and Arafo, it walks “slower”, but it is an area that is practically impassable since it is very steep.
Regarding the evicted and confined people, it is estimated that there are some 6,889 people, of which 3,069 are evicted and 3,820 confined.
On the other hand, he recalled that in the last hours the General Directorate of Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands has issued evacuation orders from the neighborhoods of Baboseras Altas, Camino El Pozo, Lomo Piedra to Calderetas (from San Cristóbal street to the mountain) and La Vica, in the municipality of El Sauzal; and La Vica and El Pirul, in the municipality of La Matanza. Evacuated people can go to the La Perdoma pavilion in the municipality of La Orotava.
During the afternoon there were also preventive evacuation orders in the Pino Alto neighborhood, in the municipality of La Orotava; and in El Pinalete, Galván, Las Vigas and Lo de Los Ramos, Camino de La Granja, Los Eres, Lomo Juan Lian and the access to the Barranco de Añavingo, all these nuclei in the municipality of Arafo.
This decision is added to the one adopted during the night to confine the entire urban area of La Esperanza, in El Rosario, as well as to evacuate the upper part of the Hondo ravine, Las Rosas, Los Apaches-Camino La Huerta, in the same municipality of El Rosario, and the eviction of La Resbala and Pinolere in La Orotava.
Previously, the area of Las Barreras and Calle Preventorio, in El Rosario, were evacuated; as well as the area that goes from Vista La Huerta street and Preventorio street to the Hogar School (TF -274), Camino Los Panascos Bajos to Juan Antonio Díaz street and Las Rosas and Doctor Caldera streets to the General Highway TF -24, in the same municipality. For these people, the municipal Pavilion of El Chorrillo-San Isidro has been set up as a shelter.
In La Orotava, the evacuation of the descent of the Teide Restaurant drinker to La Florida was also ordered and as a meeting point and shelter the Quiquirá municipal Pavilion. Both centers have the capacity to accommodate pets.
“All the evacuated areas are being monitored for the tranquility of the evicted people,” said the president of the Cabildo.
For her part, the Minister of Social Welfare of the Government of the Canary Islands, Candelaria Delgado, has reported that due to the smoke it has been decided, in coordination with the Cabildo de Tenerife and municipalities affected by the fire, the redistribution of elderly and dependent people with serious respiratory problems to public health centers in Tacoronte and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Delgado has also indicated that he is in contact with those responsible for the Las Raíces migration center, due to the confinement, since it is in the La Esperanza area, and in case it is necessary to evacuate them to the Las Canteras barracks.
