Work continues in the upper area of ​​the La Palma fire to prevent progression towards the Caldera

SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA, July 16 (EUROPA PRESS) -

The aerial means continue with the work on the flank of the upper area of ​​the La Palma forest fire to prevent the progression of the fire towards the Caldera de Taburiente, as reported by the Government of the Canary Islands.

A total of eleven air resources will work throughout the day to extinguish the fire, including a FOCA seaplane, which arrived this Saturday afternoon from Malaga and was able to make the first drops in the affected areas.

In addition, a second FOCA seaplane arrived at the Gando air base (Gran Canaria) this morning and has joined the extinction work this Sunday.

The resources that have been working since yesterday to put out the fire are from the Cabildo de La Palma, Brif from the Ministry, EIRIF from the Government of the Canary Islands, La Palma Fire Brigade, the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC), the Canary Islands General Police Corps, Civil Guard, Local Police, Red Cross and Tenerife Fire Consortium.

There are also the General Corps of the Canary Islands Police, the Red Cross, the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and the Land Unit and Advanced Command Post (Drago 01) of the Emergency and Rescue Group of the Government of the Canary Islands and various volunteer groups from Civil Protection of the island, among others.

Likewise, it is expected that members of the Emergency Consortium of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote will be incorporated today.

The authorities responsible for managing the forest fire that started at dawn this Saturday in the Puntagorda area (La Palma) have decided to maintain for the moment the evacuations of the 4,255 residents of Tijarafe and Puntagorda evicted as a precaution. Of these people, about 200 are in shelters.

According to the latest update, the evolution of the flames that have so far affected some 4,650 hectares and burned some 20 buildings.

For its part, the extinction efforts have focused in recent hours on Tijarafe to prevent it from affecting homes and the lower part of Puntagorda. Once consolidated, work is being done to ensure that the Izcagua ravine does not pass through the northern area.

Specifically, this Sunday all the efforts of the extinction and control tasks are focused on containing the fire to prevent it from passing El Fayal and the Barranco de Izcagua (towards Garafía).

It will also seek to minimize the impact on inhabited areas on the right flank with the night descent (Tijarafe), close the left flank before the entry of the northwest and east wind to prevent the fire from passing towards Garafía and stop the descent to avoid affecting the the Caldera Taburiente.