The president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, declared this Thursday her intention to send a letter to the Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, to express the “appreciation” of Tenerife’s community towards the military and to request the continuation of ‘Operation Prometheus’, which monitors the mountains for the upcoming summer.
This announcement was made during a press briefing to evaluate the initiative, where she emphasised the “overwhelming success” of the operation, which was implemented for three months from July to September for the first time in the Canary Islands.
Dávila highlighted that there were no forest fires and noted the “strong collaboration” between institutions that enabled the “reinforcement of the security and protection of the mountains” in support of the 600 Brifor troops.
She elaborated that nearly 1,000 surveillance patrols, both day and night, along with 6,000 physical presence activities, have been executed, which facilitated the establishment of a “security cordon” at the “most critical” locations in the mountains, covering approximately 200,000 kilometres—equivalent to circling the island 530 times.
The president reiterated that the “essential aim” of preventing forest fires has been accomplished, although she acknowledged the deterrent effect of the military, which has helped avert theft on farms. “They have epitomised cooperation and solidarity between institutions and citizens,” she remarked.
Furthermore, she indicated that they would also be appealing to Robles to consider the addition of new resources such as a helicopter capable of conducting night flights, which would also serve in the event of a fire.
The head of the Canary Islands Command, Lieutenant General Julio Salom, expressed his “satisfaction” with the operation’s results, noting that the goal of preventing forest fires was met—with only eight outbreaks recorded—and observed a boost in the “self-esteem” of the soldiers, who felt “valuable.”
He stated that up to 10 patrols were active, traversing the forest canopy under the coordination of Cecopin, which provided weather forecasts, asserting that “it was less about monitoring” and more about “visibility.”
In this context, he underscored the “interaction” with the local population, which “has been a crucial factor in the success.” “We provided reassurance in the field; people felt secure should anything arise,” he remarked.
Salom is also reflecting on the “lessons learned” from an operation that began as a “blank slate”, and looking ahead, he advocates for enhanced night aerial resources and “technological interoperability” as some “shadow areas” remain.
