The southern area of the fire evolves “well”
In the next few hours there will be new evacuations as a precaution
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Aug. 19 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The work to extinguish the forest fire that began on the night of August 15 in Mount Arafo, on the island of Tenerife, already affects some 6,791 hectares and the work is currently focusing on defending population centers, while that the authorities have announced new evacuations as a precaution in the next few hours.
In this way, the fire continues to be out of extinguishing capacity and the perimeter it covers is about 62 kilometers that includes eleven municipalities.
The Minister of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Miranda, commented during the press conference at 7:00 p.m. to update the information on the evolution of the fire that new evacuations are being carried out due to the reactivation of some spotlights.
“The work of extinction is currently focused on the defense of population centers. It is the priority. Attacking the fire in those areas where people live,” he said while calling on the residents to take all precautions possible.
The Minister of Social Welfare of the Government of the Canary Islands, Candelaria Delgado, has pointed out for her part that the order has been transmitted to evaluate all those people who are going to the meeting points for evacuees to carry out a triage on the needs they may have to determine if they have to go to a health center or a social health center for the elderly and dependents.
“Until 6:00 p.m. we have been able to put twelve centers at the service of those affected with the necessary resources to spend the night. In Tacoronte we are going to attend 65 evacuees in the Los Laureles Pavilion, in Santa Úrsula 55 people in the warehouse set up in the fight, in La Matanza 30, in El Sauzal 43, in La Victoria 560, in Los Realejos 250, in La Orotava 290 and in El Rosario 16”, he pointed out.
As for the evicted residents, the figure has risen this Saturday to some 26,000 people after the evacuations that have occurred since last night in the upper part in the municipalities of La Orotava, La Matanza, La Victoria, El Sauzal, Santa Úrsula and Los Realejos.
THE SOUTH AREA IS DEVELOPING “WELL”
In addition, the technical director of the emergency, Montse Román, explained that the entire southern slope is an area that is evolving “well”, being the positive note of a day in which a new evacuation will have to be made in Tacoronte due to a reactivation, specifically in La Hornaca, Los Laureles, Hoya de Manzaneros, Lomo La Jara, Monte Verde and the area around the forest house.
“We still have a very complicated situation,” he added, “on a day when temperatures have risen and relative humidity has not just recovered, with winds generating situations of their own dynamics or turbulence.”
