Due to the active development of the fire in Tenerife, the Military Emergency Unit (UME) has withdrawn to the base.Air quality in La Orotava remains poor
Writing/EP
Monday, August 28, 2023
Due to the active development of the fire in Tenerife, teams of the Military Emergency Response Unit (UME) have been able to withdraw and return to base.
According to the Canary Islands Forest Fire Civil Protection and Contingency Planning Agency (INFOCA), according to forecasts, the fires are still in the stabilization phase, which means that the fires are developing within the established control lines and the extinction is moving towards their control.
Some activity resumed last night in the areas of La Esperanza in El Rosario and La Atalaia in Santa Ursula.
In this sense, a preventive evacuation was carried out in Las Rozas, a house in El Rosario and six houses in the upper part of Santa Ursula Villa del Barranco street because of the The only way out is to go to the fire zone.
The extermination operation within 90 kilometers is still very hard work, insisting on consolidating the most conflicted points, but it is progressing smoothly.
One unit accommodates 94 land soldiers and 8 air soldiers
The installation planned for today consists of 94 ground troops from the Tenerife City Hall and the EIRIF Forestry Brigade, urban firefighters and 8 aerial installations, concentrated in operations between Santa Úrsula and La Matanza.
Since the start of the fire until yesterday, air resources have been discharged 7,277 times in various locations, using a total of 13,103,700 liters of water.
The Chasna mobile station located in the high-altitude area of La Orotava has poor air quality today. It is recommended that the public continue to wear FPP2 masks and other self-protection measures to avoid going out.
Access to Teide National Park closed
Access to Teide National Park via TF-24 (La Esperanza), TF-21 (La Orotava) and TF-523 (Subida a Los Loros) and all access to the forest canopy remain closed, as well as trails preventing people from venturing . Emergency areas of more than 14,000 hectares are also prohibited.
Finally, the INFOCA Technical Directorate recalls the need for caution and insists that in the fire-affected cities it is not possible to access or carry out any type of activity in the mountains, as very serious interventions continue. In the area, it is necessary to keep the roads clear so that they can act quickly if necessary.
Air quality in La Orotava remains poor
The air quality in the city of La Orotava on the island of Tenerife remains poor due to forest fires, the Canary Islands government reported.
Smoke from forest fires consists of a mixture of gases and small particles emitted when vegetation and other materials burn.
Therefore, it is recommended to avoid being outside and engaging in strenuous or prolonged physical activity, keep doors and windows closed, and if you have air conditioning, put it on recirculation mode and use a clean filter.
For outdoors, it is recommended to use FFP2 masks to avoid respiratory problems, and to protect the eyes as much as possible, and even wash the eyes if necessary.
Those at highest risk are those with respiratory or heart conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema; children, pregnant women and the elderly; people who engage in strenuous physical activity and people with limited mobility.
The most likely symptoms of very adverse air quality are coughing, irritation of the eyes, nose or throat; people with respiratory or heart conditions experience difficulty breathing deeply, chest discomfort, palpitations, fatigue and worsening symptoms.