The Cabildo of Tenerife has made an initial assessment of the damage caused by the Forest fire that has hit the island since last August 15, currently stabilized after burning almost 15,000 hectares in a perimeter of 90 kilometers across 12 municipalities, and has estimated them at 80.4 million euros.
This was stated on Thursday by the insular president, Rosa Dávila, who recalled that the Council of Ministers will probably declare the island of Tenerife as a ‘catastrophic zone’ this Friday.
“The estimated damages, only in the infrastructure of the Cabildo and the effects on the regeneration of the mountain, Teide National Park, are estimated at around 80.4 million euros,” he stated to remind that the primary sector is one of the most affected by the fire.
Dávila pointed out that the insular Corporation has worked “intensely” to have this first assessment of damages with the aim of making them available to the Government of Spain so that the declaration of a ‘catastrophic zone’ can be carried out.
Here, he made special emphasis that these 80.4 million are only in those aspects that have to do with roads, with hydraulic infrastructures, with the impact on agriculture “and everything that it means for the impact on the Teide National Park, the forest crown and the protected natural spaces of our island”.
The president pointed out that the fire, “the largest in the last 40 years in the Canary Islands”, undoubtedly has an impact on the lives of people who are dedicated to agriculture, livestock, who are affected by irrigation, by which awaited a response, “as President Sánchez anticipated”, from the Government of Spain.
It surrounded the scientific centers of Izaña without damaging them
During the visit this Tuesday of the minister, Margarita Robles, the head of the tactical group of the Military Emergency Unit that operated in the area, Rafael San José, assured that the forest fire surrounded the infrastructure of the Institute of Astrophysics in the Canary Islands and the Observatory. Meteorological, in Izaña, but it did not cause damage thanks to the work of the extinguishing teams.
San José explained that in the early morning of August 20, 20 soldiers came to defend the critical points of the scientific infrastructure in Izaña, work that they continued in the morning.
Furthermore, as the soldier explained, they were given the task of preventing the fire from advancing towards the municipality of Fasnia and entering a forested area, which would make it more difficult to control in addition to spreading to that municipality and Arico.
For this function, a direct maneuver was carried out with the support of forestry brigades and a helicopter with the capacity to download 1,500 liters of water.
To facilitate their work, at the initiative of the UME, a portable pool was set up with 12,000 liters of water that allowed the helicopter to unload in three minutes and reduce unloading time by almost three times.
Regarding the defense of the infrastructure in Izaña, the UME soldier explained the difficulties they encountered due to vegetation, mostly low scrub, that was very dry and allowed the fire to spread quickly.
The registrars estimate that 364 farms and 246 buildings were affected by the fire
The Tenerife fire has affected 364 registered properties and 246 buildings or constructions, most of them of an agricultural nature, according to data from the College of Registrars of Spain, obtained through its Emergency Registry Portal (PRE), which cross-references data own with the European satellite system Copernicus.
The fire has spread through five mortgage districts of the property registries of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Number 4, with 33 registered properties and 20 buildings affected; Tacoronte, 111 affected farms and 33 buildings; El Rosario, 12 affected farms and 6 buildings; Güímar, 43 affected farms and 11 buildings; and La Orotava, record with the largest number of affected properties, 165 and, in addition, the largest area, and 176 constructions or buildings affected.
The Professional Association indicates that the Emergency Registry Portal (https://geoportal.registradores.org/emergency) is an open and public tool through which affected citizens can check, based on the location of their farm or property, if it has been affected by the fire and directly request the registry information through a simple informative note to the competent registry.
The College has highlighted that in recent months improvements have been implemented in the PRE, which will provide users and administrations, among other issues, with a pre-emergency registry that includes the location of properties through the cadastral reference, the registry code unique CRU, or the street and the number of the municipality.
The TF-21 and TF-25, “seriously” damaged by fire, closed in their access to Teide
The TF-21 and TF-24 roads, which have been “seriously” affected by the Tenerife forest fire, 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. , the Cabildo has reported.
The president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, and several councilors have met with officials from the General Directorate of Traffic and the Civil Guard to coordinate actions on the main roads affected by the fire.
The Cabildo remembers that the fire is stabilized, but it is not controlled and in addition to TF-21 and TF-24, TF-523 (Subida Los Loros) remains closed.
Access to the Teide National Park can be done through Vilaflor (TF-21) and Chío (TF-38) and it has been decided to modify the section of the Cable Car, moving it to Portillo Alto, so that people can access the restaurants located in the area.
The operation deployed by the Cabildo this Thursday is made up of 131 people on the ground, to which coordination and logistics personnel must be added.
Extinguishing tasks focus mainly on combating the hot spots of the fire.
In the municipalities of Güímar, Arafo, Fasnia, Candelaria, El Rosario, Tacoronte, El Sauzal, La Matanza de Acentejo, La Victoria de Acentejo, Santa Úrsula, La Orotava and Los Realejos, grade 3 measures remain activated, which 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, motor vehicles may not be driven 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.
The following recreational areas and camping areas 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).
The Cabildo has activated level 1 measures for the municipalities not affected by the fire and therefore it remains prohibited to light fires in recreational areas (bonfires, stoves, barbecues, gas stoves), pyrotechnic displays and work with machinery and tools that cause sparks.
Hunting activity, forest harvesting and the circulation of motor vehicles are permitted on the network of forest trails for recreational purposes. Likewise, you can travel on forest tracks and trails and use 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 could generate fires (tobacco, use of generating sets, electrical and pyrotechnic material).
Regarding public transport, the only Titsa line that remains suspended is Line 348 Puerto de la Cruz-Orotava-Teide National Park. For their part, Lines 345 and 346 Puerto de la Cruz-Orotava-Aguamansa will only reach the Velo, while Line 342 Costa Adeje-Cristianos-Vilaflor-Teide National Park will only reach the Cable Car.
In the Teide National Park, several trails remain closed.
