Fires in La Gomera and La Palma

[El Profesor]

Called by some "the heart of the Canaries" ..... La Gomera's most famous bump .... El roque de Agando.

Before and after
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These are prehistoric laurel forests covered most of Europe and North Africa in the times of the dinosaurs, they were wiped out by ice ages, deserts and humans and they only exist in Anaga, Garajonay and some island in the Med, Cyprus I think.
Garajonay National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the prehistoric subtropical forests are home to hundreds of unique protected plant species that only grow there....... and it's all burnt down.
Paulino Rivero is an idiot, and Melchior .... still wants his train.

[Janet]

The Government has said that all those evacuated have now been able to return home, and that there will be positive news to announce later today. El País, however, has quoted Angél Fernández, Director of the Garajonay National Park as saying that the fire has now become subterranean, and as such could take weeks to extinguish. No doubt there will be further clarity later.

[Perikles]

 

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[Janet]

Four of the seven water planes have now returned to base, including the two from Morocco, leaving three fighting the fire on La Gomera. The fire is subterranean now, and this, together with its wide perimeter, and the landscape itself, require those planes to remain. This is in addition to two Gobcan GES helicopters and ground brigades. The fire above ground is most active in the Los Gallos barranco area in the west, but the fire's advance has been stopped and it is here that ground forces are focused. All roads are open again except the GM-2 between Las Hayas and Cruce de Pajaritos. Some 4,100 hectares have been affected, 700 of them inside the Garajonay national park. JA

[NAH]

....Some 4,100 hectares have been affected, 700 of them inside the Garajonay national park......

To put this in perspective:

700 hectares = over 1700 Acres

4100 hectares = over 10,100 Acres

[Perikles]

La Gomera has estimated the damage to the island caused by the fire at € 70,000,000

El País

This sounds a bit steep, but when asking for financial assistance, why not?

When I used the search function to find this thread, I searched on Gomera, and it suggested I might be looking for Gomorrah.

[Nova]

La Gomera has estimated the damage to the island caused by the fire at € 70,000,000

El País

This sounds a bit steep, but when asking for financial assistance, why not?

How do you even put a monetary value on something like that?? 

When I used the search function to find this thread, I searched on Gomera, and it suggested I might be looking for Gomorrah.

Oh Sodom...

[Janet]

 The Canarian Government has reduced the La Gomera fire level to 1, bringing the remaining firefighting effort back under the control of the island Cabildo. The fire was formally declared stabilized, at last, at 11am this morning. The Consejero de Economía, Hacienda y Seguridad del Gobierno de Canarias, Javier González Ortiz, took the opportunity to thank, in the Government's name, the professionalism of all those who have been involved and contributed to the firefighting, including the political authorities, local police forces, voluntary associations, Protección Civil, Cruz Roja, firemen, army, environment officials, and of course, the Moroccan authorities for the loans of the water planes that were so effective.  JA

[Janet]

I'm delighted to post the above video, taken after the recent fire, and released by the La Gomera Cabildo via La Gomera Travel. Yes, the fire was devastating. Yes they're still working to extinguish it finally. Yes, it's gone subterranean. But 80% of the Garajonay is safe, and beautiful, and needing visitors. I've had a few people ask me if they should go ahead with tentative plans to go to La Gomera, and others who were thinking of cancelling a firm booking. Just have a look at the video. There's your answer.

[Janet]

The La Gomera Cabildo has said the fire, which started on 4 August, was at last brought under control at 10pm last night. It was declared stabilized on 24 August, and since then firefighting work has continued to boundary it and dampen down. The decision to declare it under control was made after 48 hours had elapsed without smoke in the permiter zones, and when all the lines of firefighting could be considered "cold". The President of the Cabildo, Casimiro Curbelo, expressed his satisfaction at being able to announce the news, but stressed that the island hoped for rain which would help finally to extinguish the fire. Almost 3,000 hectares have been affected on the island, some 8% of its entire surface, of which 720 were in the Garajonay national park itself: the final damage there is to 18% of the forest. JA