Santa Cruz de Tenerife 13 Mar. (Europa Press) –
Fire activity in Tenerife rose by 24.23% in 2024 compared to the prior year, totalling 5,097 responses, with fires being the most common occurrence (2,090), whilst traffic accidents showed the most significant increase, registering an annual change of 147.57%.
This information was disclosed during a press conference led by the head of the Firefighters Consortium of Tenerife, Florencio López, alongside the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, the Minister of Natural Environment, Sustainability, and Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, and the Insular Director of Security and Emergencies, Iván Martín.
Overall, the Tenerife Fire Coordination Centre at 112 handled a total of 25,648 calls from the public, representing a 7.8% rise from the previous year, with 10,111 of those calls necessitating fire service intervention.
December proved to be the month with the highest activity, accounting for 2,524 calls.
Furthermore, both preventive and drill activities have been intensified to enhance the troops’ responsiveness to the uptick in incidents and to equip residents with tools to mitigate risk scenarios that require their intervention.
Prevention initiatives increased by 26.57%, bolstered by the continuation of established campaigns such as the Prevention Week, in collaboration with the Mapfre Foundation.
Thus, training and prevention will remain the central strategies moving forward.
In 2024, a total of 17 diverse drills were conducted, including aquatic rescues, reflecting the rising incidence of drownings in recent times.
Incident Types
The prevalent incidents attended by the Tenerife Fire Consortium in 2024 were primarily fires (2,090), followed by rescues (785), door emergencies (566), and traffic incidents (510).
The latter category showed the most substantial growth compared to the previous year, with a percentage change of 147.57%.
Regarding fires, the most notable were stubble burnings (528) and vehicle fires (318), with residential fires (315) and bin fires (215) following suit.
Concerning risk levels, the majority of incidents were classified as level 2 or moderate risk (3,693 incidents), while 1,401 interventions were categorised as level 1 or low risk, and no level 3 incidents were reported, indicating a very serious risk to individuals or property.
Additionally, notable incidents included a fire at the Recycling and Composting Plant of Parque de la Reina, which resulted in 3.5 hectares of plant material being burned; a unit dispatched to Valencia to assist in search, location, cleaning, and dewatering efforts following DANA’s passage; and incidents triggered during the high wind alert in December, which involved over 80 services across various areas of the island and 481 calls recorded by the Tenerife Fire Emergency Coordination Centre at 112.
Last year’s summary indicated 95 incidents related to building damages, 54 services involving hazardous materials, as well as others attributed to damage from water or adverse meteorological phenomena (FMA), collaborations, and technical inspections.
The peak activity period fell between 14:00 and 16:00, with Sundays being the most active days of the week.
By region, once again, the park with the highest number of call-outs was Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with 1,657 services, followed by San Miguel (1,270), La Laguna (899), La Orotava (666), Güímar (381), Icod de los Vinos (218), and Guía de Isora (121), which became operational in October 2024.
Moreover, Adeje, Güímar, and Guía de Isora were the volunteer associations that partook in the greatest number of services throughout 2024, totalling 462, 167, and 134 interventions, respectively.
The president of the Cabildo took the opportunity during the media briefing to announce that the consortium will strengthen its team with the recruitment of 52 firefighters and will implement internal promotions to fill 19 leadership positions.
Historic Budget of 25.9 Million
Rosa Dávila highlighted that a historic budget of 25.9 million euros for 2025 has been approved, marking an increase of 1.48% from the previous year.
“This budget enhancement will facilitate significant infrastructure, equipment, and human resource projects aimed at improving operational efficacy and emergency response capabilities in Tenerife,” she stated.
The president also noted that throughout this year, there will be ongoing enhancements to the infrastructure of fire stations on the island.
“On one hand, we have already established a provisional station in Guía de Isora, and we are presently working towards opening a new checkpoint in the Adeje-Arona area next year. This will enhance coverage and response times across the southern region.
Additionally, the eight volunteer firefighters associations will be allocated a grant of 450,000 euros in 2025, in complement to the funding received for the acquisition of eight new fire engines.
Correspondingly, Blanca Pérez noted that “improvements are being promoted in key areas such as logistics and communications, which are crucial to ensuring that resources are consistently available and that communication flows efficiently during all interventions.”
Likewise, Pérez mentioned that they will continue “to invest in specialised training to guarantee efficient and high-quality service to the public.”
Iván Martín, the Insular Director of Safety and Emergencies, clarified that the Tenerife Fire Consortium “will keep investing in advanced technology, incorporating drones to enhance aerial surveillance during emergencies.”
He remarked that “these devices will improve real-time safety, enabling quicker and more accurate decision-making during interventions.”
He also indicated that “a continuous focus on staff training will be sustained, particularly in critical areas such as aquatic rescues, traffic accidents involving new propulsion vehicles, and rescues in mountainous and coastal terrains.”
