Firefighting teams continued to work on the ground and in the air today (Friday) as the heat subsided and rain hit Tenerife to help them sustain their progress in controlling the fire that started last Tuesday night (August 15th).
Technicians confirmed that the perimeter continues to be stabilised and that the fire hasn’t advanced or spread by a single square metre in the last 48 hours, and apart from a few hotspots, they are on the way to phase 3, which is having the fire under control.
Once under control, it will still be several days, or even weeks, until it is fully extinguished due to some of the difficult areas to access, the hotspots that still need watering, and the areas that can easily re-ignite if the heat returns and persists, but for now, the position is the best it has been since it started.
The fire is still classed as a level 2 emergency in Tenerife and has affected 7% of the total surface area of the island, and will remain at this level whilst the next two tricky phases (control and extinction) are achieved. The president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Davila, said “We must continue with prudence as we haven’t won yet, but we hope that over the weekend we will be one step closer to having the fire controlled”.
Teide National Park, the forest trails (for hiking), and the forestal crown all remain closed to tourists and visitors as work continues, and because there is a warning for bad air quality in several municipalities in and around the area the fire covers, as images show the devastation left by the blaze.
The rain that decided to fall on Friday afternoon and evening, has been a huge bonus for firefighters as they head into their 11th night in the forests of Tenerife.
