The Cabildo of Tenerife has decided this Sunday to close the access roads to the forested area until Wednesday, 13th August, due to the risk of fires, as the convergence of traffic and people would hinder evacuation efforts and the operability of forest brigades, coinciding with the observation of the Perseids.
In a statement, the Cabildo has announced that the TF-21, TF-24 and TF-28 roads providing access to Teide will be closed from 18:00 to 06:00 hours from this Sunday until Wednesday, 13th August.
The Councillor for Natural Environment, Sustainability, and Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, has stated that “the situation is at maximum alert for the risk of forest fire and maximum alert for high temperatures.”
“We must take drastic measures to prevent any incidents and ensure the safety of people. Despite the prohibitions and the closure of trails, roads, and some viewpoints, yesterday – Saturday 9th – we had to evacuate over fifty people from the Chipeque Viewpoint,” complained the councillor.
Pérez has made an appeal to the public to comply with the rules and avoid going into the mountains in the coming days because “they would be putting their safety and that of the intervention teams at risk.”
The island of Tenerife is currently under maximum alert for the risk of forest fires and maximum temperatures for the coming days, as decreed by the General Directorate of Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands.
Additionally, due to the coincidence of the heatwave with the observation of the Perseids, the access roads to the forested area will be closed due to the risk of a fire outbreak.
In this regard, the following roads will be closed from 18:00 to 06:00 hours on 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th August:
TF-24 (La Esperanza) at kilometre 9, to avoid vehicle transit from the La Esperanza area, and at kilometre point 23+500, near the Arafo junction.
TF-21 (La Orotava) at kilometre point 16+500, at the height of the Aguamansa Caldera, on the northern side.
TF-21 (Vilaflor) at kilometre point 66+800, at the height of Vilaflor, on the southern side.
TF-38 (Guía de Isora) at Chío Ascent, kilometre point 12+500.
