The Canarian president, Fernando Clavijo, hopes that it can be controlled this weekend and lowered to be managed by the Cabildo
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Aug. 24 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands has declared the Tenerife forest fire stabilized this Thursday after nine days of work, with more than 14,700 hectares burned –there may be a downward readjustment in the coming days– and a perimeter of 90 kilometers along of twelve municipalities between Fasnia and Los Realejos.
This was announced at a press conference by the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, who has indicated that there are no more evacuated people – only the area of Las Lagunetas, which belongs to El Sauzal, and the part of Izaña corresponding to La Orotava – has been evicted. -.
The president has also indicated that there is still a lot of heat on the island and therefore “small reactivations” are expected along the perimeter, but there are sufficient land and air resources to intervene and act “forcefully”.
He has asked for “prudence” because the weekend is coming and there may be a temptation to go up the mountain, but there will still be several days and weeks of extinction work, and he hopes that the “final blow” can be dealt and the control phase can pass. and therefore, lowered to level 1 so that the management remains in the hands of the Cabildo.
Clavijo has highlighted the “exemplary behavior” of the citizens, who have collaborated with the emergency services and have been respectful of the instructions of the technicians, and has thanked the central government for its involvement in sending air and land resources.
In addition, he has described as “unbeatable” the work of the extinction services, which he has personalized in Pedro Martínez, head of the Forest Service of the Cabildo de Tenerife, and Monserrat Román, head of the Emergency service of the autonomous community. “Thank you for showing your face, you have gone beyond your responsibility,” she added.
Clavijo has admitted that “the mountain has been sacrificed for the safety of the people” and has advanced that work will begin shortly to quantify the environmental and economic damage.
The president has recognized that the declaration of a ‘catastrophic zone’ will help to establish aid and some tax exemptions for those affected, but he understands that it must also “be accompanied by budget items” to guarantee environmental regeneration.
The president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, has highlighted the “enormous complexity” of the fire since it has taken nine days to be considered stabilized and she understands that “it will be studied for a long time” due to its “seriousness.
He has insisted that it is not controlled and there will be reactivations of ‘hot spots’ but there will also be more flexible measures such as the opening of the accesses to Teide from the south, the hostel and the cable car, although the ascents of Los Loros, La Orotava and La Esperanza.
In addition, a de-escalation is going to begin in the number of troops and in the air resources, in such a way that this Friday there will be almost 200 people in the device and there will no longer be a service of two seaplanes or a ground cargo plane.
POTENTIAL TO AFFECT 15,000 HOMES
Dávila has indicated that the fire could have reached up to 33,000 hectares and would have affected up to 15,000 homes if “quick” action had not been taken, stressing that there have been no deaths or loss of homes.
Pedro Martínez has indicated that the fire is “no longer growing” although its limits can be exceeded “at times”, especially in ravines and ridges and has recognized that it is necessary to begin to “smooth the shifts of personnel” because in the emergency phase there is no rest — “there is a lot of adrenaline” — to the point that there have been three car accidents without major consequences “because people are asleep.”
He has assumed that it may “take a long time” to control the fire because “the perimeter is very long” and has highlighted the role of the monteverde that has helped to “lower the intensity of the fire” when it came from the pine forest areas.
Román stressed that during the nine days of emergency associated with the fire, some 13,000 people and more than 400 pets were evacuated and there are no evacuated people or temporary shelters left.
He also pointed out that the work on the Aguamansa canal is being completed and that there is a small electrical problem that only affects second homes, while he has assessed the improvement in air quality, which is still unfavorable, especially in La Orotava and Los Realejos.
