The device organized by the Military Emergency Unit (UME) to combat the forest fire in Tenerife has begun a staggered withdrawal to its bases of origin, after 205 soldiers and 50 media have participated on the island since the fire began ten days ago.
Throughout more than a week, the device deployed has managed to stabilize the fire that, according to data from 112 of the Canary Islands Community, has affected more than 14,700 hectares of land.
In addition, the complicated orography and the different local winds have made it one of the most challenging fires of the 2023 Forest Fire Fighting (LCIF) campaign.
The fire, which started north of the town of Arafo on Tuesday, August 15, spread rapidly due to adverse weather conditions.
Given the unfavorable evolution of the fire, the authorities requested the next day, first thing in the morning, the activation of the EMU by declaring a level 2 emergency.
In the affected area, 56 troops and 28 units from the Los Rodeos detachment, in Tenerife, were first deployed, to which teams from Gando (Gran Canaria) joined at noon.
Subsequently, 92 troops from the Second Emergency Intervention Battalion (BIEM II) were transferred aboard an A400M heavy transport aircraft from the Air Force and Space Force to reinforce the initial deployment to fight the forest fire.
In total, the UME has maintained a device of 205 troops with 50 means such as fire trucks, motherships and drones.
The tasks assigned by the extinction directorate have focused on the protection of isolated infrastructures and urban areas.
Among the actions carried out, the creation of lines of defense with laying of hoses, widening burns, the use of technical fire to reduce the available forest mass and a direct attack with a car bomb stand out.
In addition, drone flights have been carried out to monitor the evolution of the flame front during the night arc.
During the emergency, the chief general of the UME, Francisco Javier Marcos Izquierdo, and the command post held a conference with the acting Defense Minister, Margarita Robles.
The minister expressed her solidarity with the population of Tenerife and the Canary Islands due to the serious emergencies they have faced in recent months, including the eruption of the La Palma volcano in 2021.
In addition, the minister offered more reinforcements from the UME and the 43rd Group for the extinction work, assuring that they would be present “as long as necessary” and that “the Government of the Canary Islands deems appropriate.”
For his part, General Marcos highlighted the importance of the role of the UME in raising awareness among the population and called on citizens to “be very careful” and follow the guidelines of the emergency management.
The Ministry highlights the joint collaboration between the troops of the 43rd Group, with five aircraft, and the Canary Islands Command of the Army, which has provided the support of two tanker vehicles to facilitate the hydration of the extinction services, in addition to the regional emergency services, Civil Guard and Red Cross.
