The fire which started yesterday (Tuesday) in La Palma is still an alert level 2 emergency, because although emergency services have its perimeter under control, stopping it from spreading, it is affecting an inhabited area. In total, there are about 60 homes that in one way or another have been affected by the fire, according to the spokesman for the Canary Islands Government, Julio Pérez, after the meeting of the technical committee that is managing the extinction operation.
Specifically, there are 30 homes affected in the municipality of El Paso, where the fire originated, some of which were completely burned and others with "minor damage", while in Los Llanos it is possible that the number is the same, confirmed Pérez.
He also announced that some of the Government’s ground teams, such as the Emergency Military Unit (UME) or the Tenerife Fire Department, will begin to withdraw tomorrow, and it is possible that some air means will return to their usual base, however, he insisted that an intense device team remains active until the alert drops in level.
Perez also explained the reason why alert level 2 is maintained, is that in the perimeter of the fire, which is 10 kilometres long with 300 hectares affected, there are houses, which "leads us to take special care."
"If the circumstances were different, if it were a pure forest fire, without people affected, we may loosen some of the precautions, but having people and houses involved, it is necessary to maintain surveillance at the same levels or a little less than yesterday," he said.
Emergency services worked through the night
"There are fewer flames, less fire, smoke, heat, wind, but even so it is important to remain vigilant," concluded Pérez, who detailed that in the last hours the firefighters have focused on monitoring that embers are not rekindled, especially near houses, and the aerial means have made passes to cool the perimeter.
As for the families affected, he indicated that there are "few families" left in the Los Llanos shelter and it is expected that they will be able to return to their homes, and if not, a "different accommodation" will be found for them, as will it be for those who “self-evacuated”.
