Tenerife Forest Fires Now Under Control

The forest fires that have been raging on Tenerife are now officially under control and the emergency has been lowered to level 1. The area affected by the fires cover 269 hectares and the cause is still not known although there is evidence it was started intentionally, according to James Martin the Mayor of Los Silos. There are two hotspots where the fire is still active in the Barranco del Agua.

Tenerife Forest Fires July 2012

The two roads closed on Friday, the TF-82 and TF-436 have been reopened, and the suspended bus services lines 460 and 325 have been resumed. Residents that were evacuated from there homes have been allowed to return. In total about 400 residents had to leave there homes, although some stayed to watch the progress of the fires from the town square in Santiago del Teide. The flames this time did not reach the valley as it did in the fires of 2007.

James Martin said that there are clear indications that the fires were started deliberately as the fire started near a farm at 10pm, and that some of the islands officials have data to support this.