Tenerife firefighter goes viral after writing a letter to ’forest fire arsonist’

The forest fire in Tenerife has been burning for six days now and has affected everyone, but particularly, those evacuated from their homes, and those who are fighting it face to face in the worst of conditions. Among these is a Fireman called Fran who has issued a letter to the alleged "arsonist from Tenerife" which has gone viral on social media.

Fireman Fran says that he has lived through five days of extremely hard work in which he has had the fire surrounding him and the smoke covering his vision: “ I have seen flames of more than 20 metres high, I have even saved innocent animals from your contempt. But you have not won… after 5 days you have not won”, he says.

“My family do not deserve to suffer because I spend 15 hours a day in front of the flames," can be read in the letter from Fran, a man who continues to fight against the fire that is devastating the north of the island.

In the letter he invites the alleged arsonist to stay next time and listen to “the roar of the flames from 30 metres away”, and, above all, he warns them: “Remember, even if you turn off your phone, there will always be ways to find out that you were at certain coordinates and started this. Now try to sleep, knowing that tomorrow they will come for you.”

FIREFIGHTER FRAN'S LETTER TO THE ALLEGED ARSONIST IN TENERIFE:

Letter to the possible arsonist of  #IFLosRealejos.
I hope this letter reaches you. I know that today many people find out about things that happen through social media, so I hope this message reaches you and you keep it in mind the day you leave.

I'm one of those hundreds of people trying to fix what you did. I don't hold a grudge against you, on the contrary, I feel sorry for your loneliness and your wickedness. Perhaps you never had enough courage to know how to face your fears and blame everyone for your ills. You think we are the ones who make your life hell.

I thank you. I thank you because every time someone like you does what he does it reminds me why my colleagues and I are here. Not for you... don't think you're so important, but to protect everyone else.

It is no longer just nature, it is responsible for others, it is honour, it is helping, it is waiting for a partner even if you know that your life may be in danger. But still, you wait for him in the suffocating smoke. I think you will never be able to experience that feeling because only human beings have feelings and you are not even human.

When I was surrounded by smoke and fire I thought how insignificant your life could be to endanger ours. But there we were facing the flames.

Don't think for a second that it was scary for me. Maybe yes for my family. They don't deserve to suffer because I do 15 hours straight in front of the flames.

You think you have created work, and what you actually created is simply more contempt for individuals like you, gobbling up news to see what you had done.

Do you think I care what you made us spend on extinguishing materials? Do you think you have "revenged" society for resorting to one of the oldest elements of civilization?

So far it has been 5 days of very hard work. I've had fire surrounding me, I've had smoke blinding my vision. I have seen flames more than 20 metres high, and I have even saved innocent animals from your contempt.

But you have not won. We have won, the good ones, the ones who burned our eyebrows and received hugs from unknown people. Those of us who read the word hero and it seems too big for us. There are harder professions.

What I do not forgive you for is that you have separated me for many hours from my children, from their smiles, from their kisses. Your poor life will never understand that.

I would like you to do me a favour. The day you want to do something similar, stay to witness what you did. Be brave and wait for the roar of flames from 15 or 30 metres away. Try to take in air stale with toxic gases by ascending a slope that makes you feel your lungs burn at every step. And after 17 hours, we come home and smile. You will never have that.

You will always live in fear that the police have followed your mobile coverage and will locate you by repeater triangulation… What, you're not so sure anymore? Remember that even if you turn off your phone there will always be ways to know that you were at certain coordinates.

Now try to sleep with the knowledge that tomorrow they will come for you.

Good night dear arsonist. You have not defeated the people of Tenerife or the Canary Islands, you have united them more.

Fran, a firefighter who fights against the Tenerife fire.