The Prometheus Operation is already underway with the departure this Monday, from the Hoya Fría Barracks, of the first of the 920 military patrols for surveillance and deterrence against forest fires in the main forest areas of Tenerife. An army attached to the people for the guard and custody of the Island’s mountains 24 hours a day until September 30. In a summer that is expected to be challenging due to high temperatures and still with the fresh memory of the previous year when a fire broke out on August 15, 2023, spreading through 12 municipalities until November and affecting around 15,000 hectares of the Corona Forestal.
The presentation of the initiative to civil and military authorities took place at an event chaired in Hoya Fría by the Chief of Staff of the Command of Canary Islands, General Luis Cortés Delgado, and by the President of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila. Also present were Brigadier General and head of the Canary Islands XVI, Ricardo Esteban, and the Councillor for Natural Environment, Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez.
Rosa Dávila expressed her gratitude to the Ministry of Defence, the Army and the Canary Islands XVI Brigade for joining this historical and unprecedented initiative in the Canary Islands. She believes that “their dedication and commitment are key to combating forest fires, especially in summer when the risk is higher.” She described the operation as “a reinforcement of the island’s Brifor operation.”
Luis Cortés stated that “our patrols go out to fulfill what the agreement dictates: to provide an increase in surveillance and observation in the areas required by the technicians.”
The president of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila, presents the badge. / E. D.
The head of the Canary Islands XVI Brigade, Ricardo Esteban, stated that the operation is based on four points: patrols with the mission of surveillance and deterrence for 24 hours; permanent presence in rural areas; active informative political and collaborative policy with the Council and the State Security Forces and Bodies, with a extendable timeframe. Esteban will be the force commander and military responsible.
The operation consists of 32 soldiers and 14 vehicles, providing 24-hour coverage for the mountains from July to September in 920 patrols. They are equipped with advanced technology such as GPS devices, digital mapping, and Tetra communication. They will be deployed in three areas identified for their high fire risk: Northeast Zone, Anaga Massif; West Zone, Valle de Icod de los Vinos and the area of Los Realejos up to the western limit at Charcos de Grejos, and East Zone, Valle de Güímar.
The Army’s mission will not only be to monitor and maintain an active deterrent presence but also to provide crucial information to the extinguishing services and report any suspicious activity to the Security Forces and Bodies. The Prometheus Operation joins the more than 600 professionals who are part of the Brifor Operation – including firefighters from the Consortium Firefighters – to work together in monitoring and protecting the mid-mountain areas.
The special operation of the Armed Forces against forest fires is called Sentinel and is carried out in Galicia and Tenerife (Galician Sentinel and Tenerife Sentinel). The Prometheus Operation is the coordinated deployment with the Council. Both combine on the Island to protect their mountains more effectively.
