Forest fire in Ifonche area

[Janet]

Chirche was evacuated at 11pm tonight. Like Vilaflor, a precautionary evacuation because the fire isn't in the village. Report from Titsa again, as with Vilaflor.

[Janet]

 In Vera de Erques, much of the village is out in the square, where there's an ambulance based. Fire engines over at the barranco. Just above us it's blazing up and then dying back, with a horrible glow to the left, which is probably where it's approaching Chirche. We're doing shifts tonight ...

[Perikles]

We're doing shifts tonight ...

I'm too old for this. 

[Nova]

You're doing a good job 

[Janet]

Well outside it's smoky, but I can't see actual flames, and at one point in the night they were already over the ridge and coming for us. I feel incredibly emotional about these firemen - they have been with us all night, literally keeping the fire away with their hands rather than water, which was being saved for the houses in case it got that close. Why the hell these aren't paid as a professional force I just don't know because they're that and more.

There's a press conference at 8am, and I've only seen one headline yet, having had about two hours sleep, so I'll update as soon as I have anything particular to say, but we're safe, and still here, and the one headline I've seen says that the Vilaflor fire is stabillized. Looks like the town is saved. Amazing the things that can make you cry, isn't it?

[Janet]

The first water planes and helicopters flew over Vilaflor at 8.20am. The fire is still going strong, but stable. An air and land reconnaissance will be carried out this morning to evaluate the possibility of Vilaflor residents returning to their homes. More information 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?

[Nova]

I don't know but I'm bloody glad you did 

[Janet]

Government press release, 8am:

In the end it was not necessary to create a firebreak to save Vilaflor. The firefighting efforts in the municipios of Adeje, Vilaflor and Guía de Isora are developing favourably, except in the focus of fire affecting the Tágara area and Vilaflor, where resources are centred to try to stop the fire which jumped a line of defence near the football field this morning. The rest of the Vilaflor perimeter is stabilized.

As far as the active flanks are concerned, Vilaflor is stabilized from Boca Tauce – TF21. Lower down, lines of defence for Lirios – TF51, Trevejos- Balsa de Trevejos are being carried out and it looks hopeful they can be stabilized. This is where teams from the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME) based in Los Rodeos are concentrated.

Regarding the Tijoco Alto  & Vera de Erques flank, the situation is largely unchanged from yesterday with a slow advance, and in the north-west Tágara zone the fire is advancing as anticipated. 

In the early hours and as a preventative measure, one resident of the Caserío de Fuente in Guía de Isora was evacuated. Of those evacuated from Vilaflor, 48 stayed in the Granadilla refuge overnight. JA

[Janet]

 The Cabildo has closed the TF51 La Camella - Vilaflor road from km14 because of dense smoke making visibility impossible.

[Janet]

Both water planes over us right now in Vera de Erques - attacking the fire in the Tágara forest