The Cabildo in Gran Canaria have informed of an outbreak of fire in the forests of Tejeda this afternoon (Tuesday) which is spreading towards Pico de Las Nieves due to the wind, where fire-fighting personnel hope to stop the flames from advancing by taking advantage of the fact that the vegetation thins out at this point, where there are several firebreaks.
Currently, the fire has reached the fence that delimits the facilities of the EVA 21 Aerial Surveillance Squadron of Pico de Las Nieves, which has activated its fire-fighting department who are trying to keep the flames from entering inside the barracks.
There are several parts to the fire due to the prevailing wind spreading the flames in different directions, and columns of smoke can be seen from various points on the island, including the southern tourist areas.
The Cabildo declared the fire at 1:10pm and activated all emergency devices at their disposal, including two fire-fighting helicopters from the Artenara base.
The Guardia Civil and the San Mateo Local Police have evacuated the Pico de Las Nieves area and several roads have just been closed including the GC-600, GC-135, and GC-130.
The president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, has recognised the seriousness of the fire and is confident that progress will be made to control it in the next few hours, and doesn’t rule out changing the emergency level depending on its evolution.
