Rosa Dávila requests a seaplane base in the Canary Islands

Dávila was not able to accompany the minister on the tour and she avoided clearly answering the question of whether it would be possible to make the request a reality. The insular Corporation estimated in a first provisional balance that the damage from the forest fire, which started on August 15 and has not yet been extinguished, amounts to 80.4 million euros divided into three large areas: Natural Environment, Primary Sector and Mobility. This first assessment will be transferred to the Council of Ministers, which plans to declare the Island at its meeting today as an area seriously affected by a civil protection emergency, commonly known as a catastrophic area.

Dávila reflected on “the need for the Canary Islands to have a permanent seaplane base.” He argued that “we believe that we should not give even one hour of advantage to the fire and we understand that nine hours of travel for these aircraft is an excessive amount of time.”

The president, Rosa Dávila, the counselor of the Presidency, José Miguel Ruano, and the counselor of Primary Sector and Animal Welfare, Valentín González, detailed the damage from the fire. Solosses in the area of ​​Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies are quantified at around 64 million euros (64,008,344), while in Industry, Commerce, Primary Sector and Animal Welfare are around 14.2 million euros (14,255,000) and in that of Mobility about 2.1 million (2,149,857 euros).

Request. Rosa Dávila indicated that “the Government Delegation in the Canary Islands asked us to make a first estimate and has also done so with the city councils of the 12 affected municipalities.” She added that “the figure in which we estimate the damages is around 80.4 million euros, although it is provisional until we make the final assessment.” She stressed: «We are talking about a fire that has affected about 14,700 hectaresapproximately, and which is the largest that has occurred in Spain during the summer.

For his part, José Miguel Ruano explained that “the important thing is that we are anticipating provisional amounts, because the fire has not ended.” According to the law, he noted, “the specific damage assessment will be completed as soon as we can definitively control the fire, and consequently, the assessment will be more precise.” He indicated that “we hope that the Government of Spain responds, as the acting president, Pedro Sánchez, promised, to this demand because, after all, it is the most serious fire of this summer. “We hope that the initial assessment comes to fruition.”

Primary sector. The Minister of Primary Sector and Animal Welfare, Valentín González, explained that “the primary sector is one of the most affected by the fire.” He elaborated that “an assessment has been made by the four technical services of the ministry – Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Agrarian Structure and Agri-Food Quality and Valuation – and the losses amount to 11.3 million euros, to which there are “We have to add about three million more related to the loss of economic activity such as the closure of establishments or cleaning work.”

González stressed that «635 hectares of agricultural land have been lost, where damage worth 7.5 million has been caused. There are surfaces affected temporarily that could recover in one or two years and then there are surfaces where the recovery will be null. In this sense, it includes the impact on chestnut trees, fruit trees and, fundamentally, hydraulic infrastructure.

The Councilor pointed out that “in the livestock sector, we have estimated the damage caused at 1.5 million.” Stables or tool rooms have been affected, in addition to the losses in milk production and cheese production as a consequence of the eviction process itself.

Finally, The damage to the infrastructure related to Balten (Balsas de Tenerife) is quantified at around 900,000 euros. They were caused by the extraction of water that damaged the Aguamansa and San Antonio reservoirs, as well as other reservoirs. “The loss of irrigation water will be a consequence that we must also assess as soon as the fire is controlled,” he concluded.

Roads. The cutting point in the National Park Teide It was moved this Thursday from the Cable Car to Portillo Alto to facilitate access to the restaurants in the area that had expressed their complaints. The decision was made after a meeting with officials from the General Directorate of Traffic and the Civil Guard to coordinate actions on the main roads affected by the fire. Rosa Dávila attended; the advisors Blanca Pérez (Natural Environment), Dámaso Arteaga (Roads) and Eulalia García (Mobility) and the insular directors, Iván Martín (Security and Emergencies) and Pedro Millán (Natural Environment), as well as technicians.

During the meeting, an evaluation was carried out of the TF-21 and TF-24, which were seriously affected and will continue to be closed to traffic in their access to the Teide National Park to guarantee the safety of people and facilitate extinction work. In that sense, it is worth remembering that the fire is stabilized, but it is not controlled. In addition to these roads, TF-523 (Subida Los Loros) remains closed. Access to the National Park can be done through Vilaflor (TF-21) and Chío (TF-38). The operation deployed by the Cabildo was made up of 131 people on the ground, in addition to coordination and logistics personnel. The extinguishing tasks focused mainly on combating the hot spots of the fire, something that will be repeated in principle during the day this Friday.

Plan activated. The Cabildo of Tenerife reminds that the Territorial Island Emergency Plan (PEIN) is still activated. A series of resolutions for the population are still in force. Thus, in the twelve municipalities affected by the fire – Güímar, Arafo, Fasnia, Candelaria, El Rosario, Tacoronte, El Sauzal, La Matanza de Acentejo, La Victoria de Acentejo, Santa Úrsula, La Orotava and Los Realejos – measures remain activated grade 3; This means the prohibition of lighting fires in recreational areas and traveling on forest tracks and trails. The prohibition of staying in the mountains and making fires outdoors – bonfires, stoves, barbecues, gas stoves – is also maintained; pyrotechnic displays and the use of machinery and tools that cause sparks. In addition, it will not be possible to circulate with motor vehicles on forest trails for recreational purposes.

Hunting activity is prohibited in the municipalities affected by the fire, except in Güímar and Fasnia, where it will be allowed. On the other hand, the following recreational areas and camping areas located in these towns, almost all of them in the north, will remain closed: Chanajiga (Los Realejos), Hoya del Abade (La Victoria), La Caldera (La Orotava), La Laguneta Chica ( Santa Úrsula), Las Calderetas (El Sauzal), Las Raíces (El Rosario), Lomo La Jara (Tacoronte), Los Frailes (Arafo) and Ramón El Caminero (La Orotava).

Not affected. In the municipalities not affected by the fire – the rest up to the 31 on the Island – the Cabildo has activated grade 1 measures. Thus, lighting fires in recreational areas, pyrotechnic displays and work with machinery and tools that may cause sparks.

In this case, hunting activity, forestry exploitation and the circulation of motor vehicles on the network of trails for recreational purposes are permitted. Likewise, you can travel along the paths and trails and use the recreational areas, camping areas and campsites – without using stoves or gas – as well as sporting events and pilgrimages on forest and cross-country tracks and trails. In any case, the population is asked to take extreme precautions throughout the island territory with any activity that may generate fires –tobacco, use of generating sets, electrical and pyrotechnic material, etc.–.

Suspended line. Regarding public transport, the only Titsa line that remains suspended is Line 348 Puerto de la Cruz-Orotava-Teide National Park. The 345 and 346 (Puerto de la Cruz-Orotava-Aguamansa) go only to the Velo, while the 342 (Costa Adeje-Cristianos-Vilaflor-Teide National Park) only to the Cable Car.

Walking trails. The following trails in the Teide National Park are completely closed: Trail 1 (La Fortaleza), 2 (Arenas Negras), 8 (El Filo), 14 (Alto de Guamaso), 17 (Igueque), 20 (Volcán de Fasnia), 21 (Corral del Niño a La Yegua Blanca), 25 (Burnt Receipt), 29 (Degollada del Cedro), 34 (Montaña Limón), 36 (Alto de La Fortaleza) and 37 (Cerrillar-Carnicería).

For its part, Trail number 4 (Siete Cañadas) is partially closed: from the beginning at the El Portillo Visitor Center until its contact with trail 30 Los Valles (Risco de La Papelera), while trail 22 (Lomo Hurtado ) is closed from the beginning in contact with number 1 (La Fortaleza) until its contact with number 33 (Montaña Negra).