SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 8th Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife, through its Environmental agents, has successfully identified the owner of a drone that was operated on June 29 in a protected region without proper authorisation, which resulted in a fire outbreak in the municipality of Buenavista del Norte, within the safeguarded area of Teno Rural Park.
The Minister for Natural Environment, Sustainability and Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, emphasised that a significant function of the Environmental agents is the investigation of the origins of fires.
Accordingly, on June 29, an incident was recorded in the upper region of Masca, where agents investigated and found that a drone had crashed into the rocks and subsequently ignited the extremely dry vegetation. Luckily, the incident did not escalate into a fire due to the swift response of the emergency services.
The Environmental agents conducted an investigation and traced the owner of the drone, who is now subject to a disciplinary action for violating the prohibition against flying in such areas without the required authorisation from the Cabildo de Tenerife’s managing bodies.
Pedro Millán, the insular director of the Natural Environment, explained that they have enhanced oversight over violations in natural spaces, with the support of the Cabildo’s Environmental agents, who are also collaborating with the Civil Guard, the Canarian Police, and the Local Police. “We are engaged in daily efforts across various realms of environmental protection and conservation in Tenerife, and the investigation and resolution of this case exemplifies our commitment,” he noted.
After the fire was brought under control, the Environmental Agents of the Cabildo undertook the investigation and identified the drone’s owner. The incident occurred in the Ladera del Morro (Roque Tarucho) area, in Masca, a location with challenging access that necessitated aerial resources during a time when a pre-alert status was declared due to the threat of a forest fire.
A Brifor helicopter, alongside members of the Canarian Police, Civil Guard, Local Police of Buenavista del Norte, Volunteer Firefighters, the Emergency and Rescue Group, as well as nine professionals from the area’s Fire Extinguishing Service, were deployed to manage the incident. The rapid response effectively prevented the fire from spreading in a region with particularly complicated terrain.
