Forest fire in Ifonche area

[Janet]

The residents of Vilaflor will not hear about being able to return home  until the fire around the town is confirmed as under control. Around an hour ago the wind changed direction and has reactivated two focuses of the fire there. Efforts were already Herculean and the weather is just not helping. Nonetheless, Tenerife Cabildo President Ricardo Melchior says that he expects all fronts of the fire - apart from the one in Guía de Isora - to be stabilized by mid afternoon.  JA

[Janet]

As I said earlier, the water planes are up with us right now. Quite a few flights over. The focus is the Tágara forest above us. Mayor of Guía de Isora has actually given that up for dead, it's gone and it can't be extinguished, but they can stop it spreading. They must stop it spreading because if not, it will reach the Chio mountain and Santiago del Teide - and we'll have 2007 all over again on a far worse scale. JA

[El Profesor]

ion at 1pm. The tally as of this morning for evacuations is that some 2,200 people have had to leave their homes in the areas of Tijoco Alto, La Quinta, Vilaflor, Taucho, Chio and Chirche. How the hell did we escape that?

Could it be that there is only one tree anywhere near your house and it had it's back turned to the fire?

I think Melchior has some questions to answer when this is over .... he looks a bit sheepish on the telly.

[Janet]

I really thought the row of trees above us was going to go up last night about half past one. Talk about a hair's breadth ... 

[Janet]

Arona Ayuntamiento has requested food and drink assistance for volunteers in firefighting efforts. If anyone can help, please contact the Ayuntamiento - see twitter.com/TurismoArona and the official Arona Turismo page HERE.

[Janet]

Sad news. The fire has not come to a halt in the lava field as hoped and as of 3pm is heading for the Chio forest and the mountains in Santiago del Teide. A group of Santiago del Teide firemen were lucky to escape with their lives as conditions changed and they were in danger of being encircled by the flames. They are safe, mercifully, but the fire is now heading back to 2007 territory. JA

[Nova]

Oh nooo!  It was all beginning to sound so positive 

[Janet]

Just so we have a realistic idea of what we're dealing with here, the official line is now that it is going to take weeks, not days, to extinguish the fire.

On the subject of Arona's call for food and drink for volunteer firefighters, it's not clear how it's hoped this is to be co-ordinated but it seems they would like the public to contact tourist information offices. They are linking to THIS page, which gives the details of the various ones.

[Janet]

Residents of Taucho and La Quinta are now able to return to their homes, at last, while Tenerife Cabildo President Ricardo Melchior says the fire is cornered. Meanwhile we have two hydroplanes flying over us constantly on their way to Tágara to drop water and back to collect more. We await the dark to see whether there are still flames above us - there is some smoke, but if there is not a bright orange glow I will be very happy. JA

[Janet]

Here's one of those two planes that are still flying over us constantly ...