This Wednesday, the mayor of Arafo, Juan Ramón Martín, will hold a telematic meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, including the general director of the Spanish Office of Climate Change, to talk about the fire prevention project being carried out. A few weeks he introduced her to the third vice president and minister of the branch, Teresa Ribera, during her visit to the Advanced Command Post of the Tenerife fire, in Arafo.
“For years -says Martín- we have drafted a project on those interface zones that go between the forest mass and the urban area, and about which so much has been said these days. This project was handed over to the minister and we are pleased that they have responded quickly to talk about it next week, with the aim of guaranteeing the survival of homes in urban areas that are very close to the mountain with greater prevention. as has been observed in this fire that we have suffered and that fortunately did not escalate in terms of personal or property misfortunes. “This fire, regarding this project, has proved us right, because there was a serious risk, especially in the north and in El Rosario, where those interface zones were more damaged, although here, where the fire started, we did not stop having fear,” he points out. One of the details in that study includes the presence of more monteverde and “wetter” plants and fewer pine trees near urban areas, apart from the public and private obligation to clean orchards and paths.
More than a million
The mayor estimates that in Arafo, where the big fire started on August 15, the damage caused can be estimated at around one million euros “roughly”, especially with regard to damage to “paths.” , roads and water tanks, all this without counting the damage to beekeeping and the Lomo Redondo area, very rich in chestnut trees”, apart from the damage to the artificial grass on the soccer field due to the continuous landing and take-off of the helicopters.
However, he is optimistic about the recovery of the Añavingo ravine, the jewel of biodiversity in the municipality, because “not all of the Añavingo big head has disappeared, although it has been very damaged.”
Juan Ramón Martín also recalls that “there are bighead seedbeds that were planned to be repopulated in other areas, but now they will be destined for their original ravine, a unique species.”
