Forest fire in Ifonche area

[Janet]

Press now widely reporting what I was sadly able to post at 8am this morning. The fire is now confirmed as in the National Park. JA

[Janet]

Guía de Isora Ayuntamiento has now placed a public notice on its website (HERE) denying that they need water lorries. This was a hoax. Policía Local beg people to stop phoning. Meanwhile, water planes will be collecting water from Los Cristianos harbour around 2pm.

[Janet]

Guía de Isora mayor Pedro Martín has said that contingency plans are being put in place in case Vera de Erques, Chirche, Chío y Chiguergue" have to be evacuated this evening. Buses are on standby, refuges ready. At the moment the situation is very dangerous in the Tágara area, an old and dense forest between the Barranco de Erques and the Boca Tauce road which is said to be highly combustible. A fire control cordon is in place taking advantage of lava fields, with firefighters from Guía de Isora and Santiago del Teide trying to stop any fire breaking out. They are also on standby for the villages in the area to try to extinguish any outbreak quickly before it spreads. Very near to home now.

[El Profesor]

When this is over, I want to see the timing of the initial response. 

[Janet]

A resident of Vilaflor has just emailed me to say she's witnessed twp hydroplanes drop water  Let's hope it works.

[Nova]

They are also on standby for the villages in the area to try to extinguish any outbreak quickly before it spreads. Very near to home now.

Does this mean Perikles gets to don his helmet, boots and hosepipe again?

Apparently they've been saying on the radio the fire is heading for La Orotava as well now?

[Janet]

Already in La Orotava municipality, but that's because it's in the national park ... but they're pretty confident of containing there, it seems.

It's ours that's the bugger. 

[Nova]

It's yours that's worrying me too...  How far from you is it now?  Can you see it coming?  You haven't posted any photos since this morning.... 

[Janet]

Dunno how far. Lisa just asked me the same thing and all I could say is up the hill and over the crest of the hill. It's well below the crater. The danger seems to be the Tágara forest area between us and the Boca Tauce road. If that goes up then it could spread any which way. It's in danger because the fire went over the top of the Barranco de Erques. BUT we've just had a hydroplane over us dropping water uphill, which was a really uplifting sight, and the wind's dropped, temps gone down a bit ...

It can change in a minute, that much is clear, but I'm fractionally more relaxed than I was an hour ago. Just fractionally, but at the moment, I'll take that.

No photos because it's just fog. Raining ash and murk. Can't see a bloody thing worth a photo.

[Janet]

A fire engine from Tegueste has overturned onto the central barrier the TF1 near Las Eras, Arico, as it headed south to help with firefighting efforts. The accident happened around 4.45pm, and one of the firemen was trapped inside. After being rescued, he was transferred to hospital by helicopter. The motorway was shut for a time for the helicopter to land.