There are people who do not learn or simply lack the smallest awareness to understand that any slight imprudence can have catastrophic consequences. This is the case of the latest example of recklessness in the mountains of Tenerife in full alert for forest fires risk.
The forest agents watching over the nature of Tenerife have just come across an oriental paper lantern that someone lit with a candle inside in the area of El Reventón, in the municipality of Icod de los Vinos, surrounded by pine forests. These are the lanterns that are launched into the sky in countries like Thailand, China, or Japan.
This was revealed on Thursday by Blanca Pérez, councillor for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies of the Tenerife Island Council, in statements to the Radio Club Tenerife station, part of the SER network. Pérez recalled that these types of lanterns are “a great danger” as they can easily cause a fire if launched lit into the air.
The person in charge of the prevention policies of the island corporation took the opportunity to issue a call to citizens to take extreme precautions and avoid any recklessness or imprudence that could cause a disaster in the nature of Tenerife. In fact, she pointed out that not long ago, a badly extinguished cigarette butt was about to cause a fire in the Teide National Park. Or that on other occasions, other imprudences, such as barbecue incidents or burning grass when it is prohibited, have caused fire outbreaks.
It is important to remember that last summer a serious fire broke out in Tenerife that devastated the Corona Forestal and caused serious economic damage. It is still unknown how it started but from the beginning, it was suspected to have been caused by human action.
Tenerife has been on maximum alert since Wednesday, like the rest of the islands, for the high risk of forest fires. The Council has preventively activated the Insular Emergency Territorial Plan (PEIN) due to the alert situation for high temperatures and winds, which implies the establishment of level 1 measures for the prevention of forest fires.
This means that lighting fires is prohibited from 7:00 today until further notice in recreational and outdoor areas, such as barbecues, bonfires, stoves, or gas cookers. The use of any machinery or tool that may project sparks (brush cutters, welding equipment, or cutting grinders) is also prohibited, as well as the use of any pyrotechnic material in risk areas. Likewise, smoking is prohibited in recreational areas, camping areas, campsites, tracks and trails, roads, viewpoints, and public infrastructure.
Rosa Dávila, president of the island council, appealed to the population “to follow the authorities’ instructions and avoid any activity that could cause a fire.” “90% of fires are caused by carelessness and are things that can be avoided,” recalled the Tenerife leader.
The Council reports through a statement that high temperatures will occur in the mountains and summits of the island – although in most inhabited areas the sensation will be almost normal –, so it recommends “not to access or remain in the island’s forest areas while the alert situation is active, as well as to take extreme precautions throughout the island with any activity that could generate fires.” The corresponding restrictions to level 1 of forest fire prevention will remain active until the alert situation ends.
Given the alert declaration, municipalities have begun to announce their preventive measures. For example, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife council orders the closure of the stoves in the recreational area of Parque Las Mesas from early today.
The surveillance operation managers
