SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, September 4 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife has deployed this Monday an operation of 70 people to extinguish and monitor the forest fire on the island, which remains uncontrolled, to which another 15 people must be added who are carrying out restoration work to protect the soil. and coordination and logistics staff.
Regarding air means, the island corporation has deactivated the two State helicopters and has two of its own helicopters, whose base is located at the South airport.
The president and vice president, Rosa Dávila and Lope Afonso, respectively, visited Santa Úrsula this Monday together with the mayor, Juan Acosta, as part of the round of visits they will make to the municipalities affected by the fire.
Dávila recalled that thanks to the coordination of all administrations it was possible to evacuate people and safeguard homes, “which was the priority in the face of a fire that has had a behavior never seen before.”
Likewise, he regretted that this weekend there were people who came to the mountain to “snoop around”, putting at risk not only their own safety but also that of the people carrying out extinction work.
“Any action in this sense by curious people who approach the mountain will be sanctioned by the Civil Guard and we want to remind you that there is a perimeter in which work continues and that they are putting their own lives or safety at risk. “, he highlighted in a note.
For his part, Juan Acosta indicated that “the most important thing is that there has been no damage to people or homes” and recalled that they had to evacuate about 4,000 people due to the proximity of the fire.
DAMAGE TO BEEKEEPING
“The fire has affected approximately 1,000 hectares within the municipality and especially beekeeping. We have to see how we can help those people who have lost their hives,” he indicated.
The mayor had words of gratitude for all those who have worked on the extinction as well as for the companies, entities and individuals who “have contributed their grain of sand.”
“It has been a serious fire and I hope another one like this never occurs again, but the solidarity has been immense,” he stressed.
The Cabildo recalls that the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Response for Forest Fires of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands (INFOCA) and the Territorial Insular Emergency Plan (PEIN) remain activated and has issued grade 3 measures 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.
The grade 3 measures contemplate the prohibition of lighting fires in recreational areas and traveling on forest tracks and trails.
Staying in the mountains and making fires outdoors (bonfires, stoves, barbecues, gas stoves) are also prohibited; pyrotechnic displays and the use of machinery and tools that cause sparks. In addition, motor vehicles cannot be used on forest trails for recreational purposes. Hunting activity is prohibited in these municipalities, except in Güímar and Fasnia.
ACCESS TO TEIDE THROUGH LA OROTAVA AND LA ESPERANZA ARE STILL CLOSED
In terms of Roads, the accesses to the Teide National Park via TF-24 (La Esperanza) and TF-21 (La Orotava) continue to be closed to traffic to guarantee the safety of people and facilitate extinction work while it remains closed. the TF-523 (Los Loros Climb).
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.
As for the trails of the Teide National Park, the following are completely closed: Trail No. 1 La Fortaleza, Trail No. 2 Arenas Negras, Trail No. 8 El Filo, Trail No. 14 Alto de Guamaso, Trail No. 17 Igueque, Trail no. 20 Fasnia Volcano, Trail no. 21 Corral del Niño to La Yegua Blanca, Trail no. Butcher shop.
For its part, Trail No. 4 Siete Cañadas is partially closed from the beginning by the El Portillo Visitor Center until its contact with Trail No. 30 Los Valles (Risco de La Papelera), while Trail No. 22 Lomo Hurtado is partially closed. closed from the beginning in contact with trail nº1 La Fortaleza until its contact with trail nº33 Montaña Negra).
