The Tenerife Cabildo ordered the preventive evacuation of approximately 120 residents living in the Las Calderetas, Campo de Tiro, and Carril del Polvo areas in Ravelo (El Sauzal) yesterday afternoon, due to the reactivation of the island's forest fire. Around 500 dogs from the Adepac shelter and approximately 50 horses have also been relocated as Intense heat and winds led to additional flare-ups during the day in Santa Úrsula and La Orotava.
Due to the unfavourable evolution of the wildfire reactivation in El Sauzal, the Cabildo requested that the Government of the Canary Islands declare a Level 2 emergency, assuming control of the situation, with Military Emergency Units (UME) being activated to assist in firefighting efforts.
Rosa Dávila, the president of the Tenerife Cabildo, reported that there were several flare-ups in the forest fire that has been affecting the island since August 15th, which was at level 1 since last Friday in the municipalities of Santa Úrsula, El Sauzal, and La Orotava, due to high temperatures and strong winds.
The evacuated individuals, who initially sought refuge at the El Sauzal Sports Pavilion, will be relocated to hotels. Likewise, about 500 dogs from the Adepac shelter and 50 horses have been moved to the facilities at the Casa del Ganadero in La Laguna.
Dávila emphasized that during the day, ten helicopters and two more aircraft from the Canary Islands Government were engaged in firefighting efforts, joining approximately 90 personnel on the ground, including forest brigades from the Island Council, BRIF La Palma, EIRIF from the Canary Islands government, and Tenerife Consortium Firefighters.
At 9:00pm last night, military personnel and additional Consortium Firefighters were deployed to protect residential areas.
Davila explained that the increase in the alert level was due to the inability of helicopters to operate during the night and "in anticipation of strong winds with gusts of up to 50 or 60km/h and forecasted high temperatures, which could complicate nighttime operations."
Despite the fire starting on August 15th and being declared under control on September 11th, it has not been completely extinguished due to recurring flare-ups, which have become more frequent in recent weeks. There have been many small reactivations because when the subsurface fire reaches the surface, it encounters dry conditions.
The head of the Forestal Brigade, Pedro Martínez explained that “wind forecasts make us cautious because there could be an ember shower, and in such a situation, we have decided to evacuate people from these areas in Ravelo. The wind was blowing towards the east throughout the afternoon, pushing the fire towards the forest area of Tacoronte, although it was still advancing in the municipality of El Sauzal.”
“The resources deployed resemble those for a major wildfire because the fire is advancing both in burned and unburned areas.” He stressed that "the risk is that an ember could jump into an adjacent unburned area near a residential area, so efforts are focused on preventing such spread.”
