Fire advances through the north of Tenerife, with 12,279 people evacuated

The evolution of the fire has forced new evacuations in the municipality of Tacoronte, due to the reactivation of new fires and more evacuations are still possible. 

Updates about the wildfire in Tenerife

• The forest fire spreads through 10 municipalities, although there are evacuations in 11, with an area of ​​8,398 hectares in a perimeter of 70 kilometers
• The number of evicted people has been updated to 12,279, with the data provided by the police forces and municipalities outside the census
• 343 troops have worked through the night and in the morning 23 aerial means will be incorporated

The technicians have explained that the fire is beyond its extinguishing capacity and behaves like a sixth-generation fire, with poor visibility due to the intense smoke due to a convective phenomenon, which has greatly complicated the intervention of air resources.

Today two new seaplanes will arrive and tomorrow another cargo plane on the ground and there would be 22 air resources of the INFOCA Plan device. In this sense, since the fire began, 1,773 discharges have been made, which represents a total of 2.7 million liters of water.

Regarding air quality, the air quality values ​​in Arafo and Los Realejos have been unfavorable, so the need to maintain sanitary self-protection measures in the presence of smoke is reiterated.

Regarding the situation of the fire, they reported that the southern flank is quite consolidated and has been reinforced with retardant. Another perimeter sector, although with hot spots, is the one that goes from La Esperanza to Tacoronte. There have been incidents in the Cerro area and in El Ravelo with high-intensity reproductions that have been attacked. The reactivations tonight may be greater and the evacuated areas should be prioritized.

The Santa Úrsula front is advancing because it is inaccessible and the part of greatest concern is located in the Valley of La Orotava, where an important contingent of resources will be concentrated to defend the assets.

The heights of Güímar (Cho Marcial) concentrated today the most past aerial means, such as seaplanes, with the aim of lowering the intensity of the fire, although the smoke has not always allowed it, for which the line of defense has been reinforced.

First thing in the morning, 23 aerial means, five of them seaplanes, joined the fight against the fire.