The General Directorate of Security and Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands activates the alert situation due to maximum temperatures on the islands
The fire extinguishing campaign of the Insular Institution began last June with different prevention and cleaning actions
The General Directorate of Security and Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands has decreed today, Monday, July 6, starting at 10:00 a.m., the alert situation due to maximum temperatures throughout the Canary Islands. For this reason, the Island Council of La Gomera asks the population to take extreme caution in this situation, avoiding any action that could trigger a fire.
According to the prediction of the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), temperatures will be on the rise, more pronounced in the midlands and high areas of the north, and maximum temperatures may reach 34 – 35ºC in the interior, west slope and south coast. The wind will be from the north, with some strong intervals on the east and west slopes, turning to the east and decreasing in the midlands and high areas.
The Minister of the Environment, Héctor Cabrera, calls for responsibility and compliance with prevention measures, and also remembers that barbecues are prohibited in recreational areas, as is controlled burning. Likewise, it is recommended to avoid traveling on trails and mountain areas.
Fire prevention and campaign measures
The Insular Institution has been developing the annual firefighting campaign since June 15, with more than 200 troops and 1.4 million euros of investment, which will last until December 31.
The operation, made up of personnel from the Cabildo, National Park and EIRIF, includes around twenty firefighting vehicles and two aerial means: a multifunctional helicopter based at the Cristóbal Colón military barracks in San Sebastián de La Gomera, and an Air Tractor cargo plane on the ground located at the island airport provided by the State. In addition, the cooperation of voluntary associations.
Last month, the Cabildo launched a citizen awareness campaign on social networks with the dissemination of short videos on self-protection tips in areas close to forest areas, where the risk and presence of combustible material is greater.
Likewise, it executes the environmental protection and improvement project, which has a budget of three million euros. In order to avoid fires, cleaning and removal of flammable materials are carried out in town centers. During these last five months, more than a hundred actions have been carried out in twenty centers on the island.
Recommendations to the population
The Government of the Canary Islands urges the population to follow the self-protection advice established by the General Directorate of Security and Emergencies: https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/emergencias/alertas/consejos/temperaturas/temperaturas.html
