Forest fire in Ifonche area

[El Profesor]

Allow me to describe the picture I couldn't take ....  because I left the damn camera in the other trousers.

8.45 am today - picturesque view of palm trees in the middle distance silhouetted against the mountains - clear blue sky with a haze of smoke curling sleepily around the peaks above Adeje - a plume of grey smoke that could have been mistaken for a cloud against the clear blue sky if you weren't aware of the tragedy behind it - and in the foreground ...... an olympic size pool with three camera crews from Japanese television filming  the Japanese Olympic swimming squad training with stopwatches and bizarre elastic ropes. My god what muscles!
I reached for my pocket and ......... another great photo that was never taken.

I would have posted it to show how far away and insignificant the fire looked - and the Japanese Olympic team here in Tenerife - a sort of juxtaposition of historic significance ...... OK shut up - I'll take the camera next time.

[Janet]

The fire's perimeter has now increased to 1,800 hectares, and it is said to have two active fronts. Both are now "dangerously out of control" due to the difficulty of fighting them as a result of the terrain, and because the weather has worsened – it is hotter, and a wind has started to blow. The fire is heading rapidly for Vilaflor and the national park, and damage to either or both would be a huge tragedy.

Fire teams are working from the TF21, the road going up through Vilaflor and on through the crater. The public are begged to stay away. Nothing can be done to help the professionals, and the curious are actually making it harder to put out the fire and endangering the lives of the firefighting teams. The TF38 (Chio access), TF21 (Vilaflor access), TF585 (Tijoco Alto), TF583 (Taucho) and TF 567 (Escalona-Ifonche) roads are all closed to traffic.

The mayor of Guía de Isora, speaking on the radio earlier, said that at present the municipality was not in immediate danger, and that its salvation, the Barranco de Erques, was the national park's tragedy, because the fire was being pushed uphill. Just before clicking "submit" I did a last check – the headlines are devastating: "El incendio a las Puertas de El Teide" – the fire is at Teide's door. JA

[Janet]

Is there anywhere that one can read up about the different alert levels and what they mean?

AQUI lo tienes (espero). 

[Perikles]

the Barranco de Erques, was the national park's tragedy, because the fire was being pushed uphill.

????????? I don't see how the progress of a fire in one direction can influence its progress in another. I've asked this question on a forum full of scientists and other nutters, geeks and nerds, so I'll report back what they say.

[Janet]

And now it is quite literally all hands to the pumps. Vilaflor is in real danger and they are throwing everything at stopping the fire reaching it.

[Janet]

and not to forget the other islands too. There are also fires burning on La Gomera and La Palma. The La Gomera fire is in Alojera and started in a plantation, while the La Palma one is in the El Pilar region.

Meanwhile, Guía de Isora police deny a rumour that they need water lorries. Their phones are paralysed by calls and the information is wrong.

[Phil]

Thank you for all the updates Janet - they have been absolutely invaluable in keeping our news service informed all day. 

[Janet]

 The fire has now reached the Las Lajas area above Vilaflor – most may know this as a recreation area for BBQs. Buses have been laid on for any residents of Vilaflor who want to leave, but there is no official evacuation at the moment. The fire has now affected 2,200 hectares.

[Janet]

A contingent of 110 from the Emergency Military Unit are heading for Tenerife and La Palma from the mainland. Three water planes from Seville are also coming to help the firefighting efforts on both islands. The Canarian Government is arranging with the Ports Authority for the planes to take water from Los Cristianos harbour.  The details were given by Tenerife President Ricardo Melchior and Gobcan Protección Civil chief Humberto Gutiérrez in a press conference this evening.

Sr Melchior said that although they had hopes this morning of getting the fire under control, the situation hasn't improved and he doubted that the situation would change over the next several hours. The fire still has two fronts, one of which is heading west to an area of barrancos where it has already entered into the pine forest, and the other towards the east – which is the front that is threatening Vilaflor.

Unfortunately, with the wind conditions, the technicians said that the fire is certain to continue west, and that it was very likely that the barrancos could act as chimneys, drawing fire upwards into the mountains. To try to avoid this, works are ongoing to set controlled fires set so as to act as firebreaks, which will be some of the smaller blazes that are visible.  JA

[Nova]

Ok, I'll ask... I know there's an old saying to "fight fire with fire", but how does lighting little fires help stop a big one?  By consuming all the "fuel" before the big fire gets there?