The Arafo fire (Tenerife) is "out of control" when it affects more than 1,800 hectares

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Aug. 16 (EUROPA PRESS) -

The forest fire declared in the mountain area in Arafo, on the island of Tenerife, is "out of control" when it has been active for almost a day, during which time it has burned more than 1,800 hectares in a perimeter of about 22 kilometers that It mainly affects the municipalities of Arafo and Candelaria.

This has been indicated by both the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, after tonight's coordination meeting in which the Minister of Territorial Policy of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Miranda, responsible for Emergencies, and the technical manager Pedro Martín, among others.

The technical manager Pedro Martín has explained that during the day the efforts have focused on trying to contain the line set on the Los Loros highway, between kilometer 7 and 11, where the fire "has not" exceeded it.

Now, he explained, an attempt will be made to contain the fire on the El Dorsal highway, to the north, where "there are no reproductions, although it is a very expandable perimeter", while trying to "cut off all the evolution towards the east, towards the municipality of El Rosario.

Regarding the west area of ​​the fire, where the tail is, he qualified that "it is inaccessible", since it has ravines although with "less fuel", although he pointed out that "it can occasionally intensify", but it is a sector in which " can't act."

Another point, he explained, is the one that goes from the Orticosa junction to the extreme northwest that advances through the Santa Úrsula mountains, and that is where "there are media trying to border so that it does not access the lower area." The technical manager has warned that in this area there could be "specific landslides" in the upper part of the La Orotava valley.

For her part, the head of the Civil Protection and Emergency Attention Service of the Government of the Canary Islands, Montse Román, explained that there are some 258 troops to try to stop the fire and for this Thursday 17 air means are expected to be active -between they three seaplanes--, one of them coordination.

Regarding the aerial means, he has pointed out that all 17 do not operate at the same time, but that between five and six work at the same time.

The Canarian president, Fernando Clavijo, has admitted that the scenario of the fire "is not exactly very positive", although the objective of the night is that the fire "does not continue advancing", so the next few hours are going to be "very important for development.

Likewise, the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, who has valued the decision to raise the level of this fire last morning, has indicated that during the night they will act with terrestrial means and with the drones of the Cabildo and of the Military Emergency Unit.

They wanted to thank the work that all the people are doing in this fire in "very adverse" weather conditions, as well as the councils for the solidarity shown and the means and troops offered; In addition to the work of the State Security Corps and Forces, the Red Cross and all citizens for exercising responsibility, while asking for prudence and following the instructions of the agents if more evictions occur.

The evolution of the forest fire declared around midnight in the municipality of Arafo, in Tenerife, and which affects the municipality of Candelaria and the bordering areas of Santa Úrsula and La Victoria, has made it necessary to order the evacuation of the upper area of ​​Araya, from Cross the Road to Los Brezos.

This eviction is in addition to the evacuation that took place this Wednesday afternoon in the upper part of the Igueste de Candelaria area, on the banks of the Camino de La Cuestita, from the confluence with the La Morita and Partes Caminos roads.

In addition, this Wednesday morning the nuclei located above kilometer 3 of the TF-523 and a dozen houses in Las Lagunetas were evacuated, and during the night the scattered areas of Arrate, Chivisaya, Media Montaña were evacuated. and Ajafona.

In total, there are 150 evicted people, although four are in the authorized shelters, two in the Punta Larga pavilion (Rambla de los Menceyes) in the municipality of Candelaria and another two in the Andrés Orozco School, in Arafo, already Most of the people have relocated to relatives' houses.

Several sections of the TF-24 and TF-523 highway are currently blocked, and more evictions during the night are not ruled out.