Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain), Aug 18 (EFE).- The forest fire that broke out on Tuesday on the Spanish island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, continues uncontrolled, already affects 5,000 hectares and has a perimeter of 50 kilometers covering ten municipalities in the north and south of the island.
The regional president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has indicated at a press conference that late this afternoon, the fire has jumped towards the upper area of the municipality of Güímar, for which reason the Dehesas have had to be evacuated, Los Pelados and Las Coloradas as well as the Meteorological Observatory and the Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands, in Izaña.
Clavijo has insisted that despite the hours that have elapsed since the fire began and its harshness, the morale of the firefighting teams “is high” and has highlighted the magnificent work being done to combat it.
He has commented that the fire is progressing as planned but remains uncontrolled and has stated that the discordant data of the day has been that the fire has overflowed in the area of Chó Marcial, in the municipality of Güímar.
In this regard, the technical chief of extinction Pedro Martínez has commented that efforts will be focused so that the fire does not advance on that flank and has highlighted the complexity of the orography in many of the points of the perimeter that have made it so difficult for the media to intervene land and air.
The weather conditions for this Saturday foresee an increase in temperatures in the area of the fire and although, as explained by the meteorologist and adviser to the Cabildo de Tenerife, Victoria Palma, the wind will be weak, there can be gusts of more than 50 kilometers per hour while the humidity will be low, conditions that will be similar for Sunday.
The Canarian president explained that this Saturday the intervention of 17 aerial means is planned, including the Kamov helicopter with a large unloading capacity.
He has detailed that of the more than 3,000 people evacuated, only 14 are staying in the shelters arranged for their care, as well as a hundred pets, and has announced that the confinement that was still in force for part of the population of La Esperanza has been lifted. .
Regarding basic services, after the Aguamansa canal broke today, Clavijo has indicated that he is concerned about the provision of these, although in principle, in terms of electricity, both Red Eléctrica and Endesa have assured them that there will be no problems in the supply .
The president of the Cabildo de Tenerife (Government of the island), Rosa Dávila, has recognized that these are difficult times for those who work on this “devastating fire” because despite the efforts, the result is not entirely satisfactory.
He has referred to the rupture of the Aguamansa water channel, in La Orotava, which will cause scheduled cuts in the supply in several municipalities on the island until the fault can be repaired, which has already been identified but has not been addressed. can access by fire.
He has trusted that tomorrow the firefighters will be able to reach the canal and has called for a more rational consumption of water until the fault is resolved.
Regarding the technical work, the extinction chief has said that during the day the efforts have been focused on closing the area of Las Raíces towards the dorsal road and up to the Llano de Las Lagunetas, and has commented that the reproductions that have taken place have been they have been able to tackle
On the Santa Úrsula front, which is one of the most conflictive, the fire is embedded in ravines and is expected to descend to an area of monteverde, more resistant to flames, while in La Orotava, the fire is also advancing very slowly a very steep slope and the firefighting teams do defensive work in the hamlets.EFE
spf/plv
