The call for heightened vigilance has been made by the Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, in the wake of a municipal order urging residents to be extra cautious during the heatwave and the associated heightened risk of fires. The official statement highlights, “The intense heatwave that Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been experiencing since April 11 has significantly increased the risk of fires, especially at this time of year when the forestry services are still fully deployed for firefighting efforts.” Therefore, it is imperative to take extreme precautions to prevent the outbreak of fires that could spread rapidly, considering the prevailing circumstances and the recent lack of significant rainfall.”
The Santa Cruz City Council is aligning with the recommendations put forth by the Government of the Canary Islands, which has shared a set of preventive measures with the municipalities aimed at averting uncontrolled forest fires.
As part of these directives, the City Council, through the mayor’s decree, “urges landowners in forested areas of the municipality to intensify maintenance and cleaning activities, thus fulfilling the obligations outlined in article 268.3 of Law 4/2017, dated July 13, concerning Land and Protected Natural Areas in the Canary Islands.”
Additionally, “there is a heightened call for increased surveillance by the Natural Environment Unit in high-risk areas to identify land parcels lacking the necessary upkeep and cleaning, to ensure effective protection against forest fires.”
“In cases where landowners do not adhere to the conservation obligations as outlined in the aforementioned article, enforcement will be pursued, potentially leading to the activation of municipal services to conduct required cleaning activities at the expense of the landowner,” the decree continues.
The Deputy Minister of Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Marcos José Lorenzo Martín, has reached out to the mayors of the municipalities to raise awareness of the fire risk, citing Decree 146/2001 of July 9, which regulates the prevention and extinguishing of forest fires and sets out fire prevention measures for residential, commercial, and industrial properties located in forested regions.
One such measure requires a safety buffer of at least 15 meters around these properties, cleared of debris, dry vegetation, and with spark arresters installed in chimneys.
This buffer zone helps safeguard these structures, particularly in areas where urban and forest environments meet, preventing the spread of fires between residential areas and forests. It also serves to protect these properties and structures from fires starting in the forests and moving towards developed areas.
The communication to the mayors stresses that Law 4/2017, dated July 13, concerning Soil and Protected Natural Areas in the Canary Islands mandates that owners of agricultural land within 500 meters of wooded areas must ensure their upkeep and cleanliness to mitigate fire risk. Non-compliance empowers the local council to carry out the necessary cleaning and bill the owners for the costs incurred, with financing options available for those unable to afford the upkeep due to their socioeconomic circumstances.
