Teresa Ribera admits that she sees herself with more “optimism” and appreciates that the Izaña Observatory and the IAC centers have been saved
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Aug. 23 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, has advanced this Wednesday that the Government of the Canary Islands plans to stabilize the forest fire in Tenerife throughout this Thursday, with almost 15,000 hectares burned and a perimeter of 90 kilometers.
In statements to journalists accompanied by the acting Vice President and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, and the Canarian President, Fernando Clavijo, she highlighted the “excitement” experienced at the Advanced Command Post after almost nine days of “tireless work” by the four public administrations involved because “the light at the end of the tunnel” is beginning to be seen.
Dávila stressed that the southern zone “is already quite consolidated” because work has been carried out “intensely” throughout this Wednesday with aerial means on the Güímar front, for which he trusts, with “prudence”, that the fire It is considered stabilized this Thursday, while thanking the central government for the availability of means.
Ribera has highlighted that this Wednesday’s day is seen with “more optimism” after the “terrible moments” experienced in the last week, although he has still called for “prudence and caution” until all the work of control and extinction of the device is completed.
The minister has highlighted the availability of air and ground resources to fight the flames and “successfully” contain a fire of these characteristics, since it has been done with the “maximum respect and priority” for the civilian population and homes but also “thinking” What kind of affect could there be for the ecosystems, with almost 3,000 hectares of the Teide National Park affected and some 10,000 of the forest crown.
Likewise, he has valued the defense that was carried out of “emblematic infrastructures” such as those of the Instituto Astrofísico de Canarias (IAC) and the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory, while he has thanked the work of the entire team that has been “at the foot of the fire ” to ensure the protection of society.
WORK ALL YEAR IN PREVENTION
Faced with the prevention of fires of these characteristics, he has indicated that it is necessary to “work all year long” taking advantage of the “sophistication” of all tasks in the forestry field and the knowledge of professionals who “know how to prevent and achieve a balance between protection of ecosystems and avoid the presence of flammable material, with the interaction with the life of people” in rural areas.
This is “capital”, he stressed, as well as having a “sufficient” endowment of resources that are also “stable and permanent”, that there be more means and “better coordination” and also “better integration” of citizens with the areas interface.
Clavijo has appreciated the support provided by the minister because “she has been concerned” since the fire started and has always had “a prompt response and involvement” when there were problems, for example, with the supply of retardant and foam concentrate.
Along these lines, it has influenced the “involvement” of the central government, as shown by the fact that up to five seaplanes have been operating on the island.
For now, 3,109 people have been evacuated in the municipalities of Tacoronte and Güímar and also in the upper area of El Sauzal and Santa Úrsula, but only the Santa Úrsula shelter is still open, with 54 people, since the 109 from the municipality from Tacoronte have been transferred to hotels on the island.
