The Civil Guard has opened several lines of investigation to locate the people who could have caused the fire declared last Tuesday in the Corona Forestal de Tenerife and which is spreading uncontrollably on the northern and southern slopes of the Island. A Police team Judicial of this security body in charge of the investigations works with the hypothesis that the fire was provoked. There are two main indications: the fire would start with several outbreaks in an area near the Chivisaya viewpoint, in the Arafo heights, and which is precisely where other attempts have occurred this summer, the most important on July 15.
Fernando Clavijo, President of the Government of the Canary Islands, admitted yesterday the opening of these lines of investigation, as communicated to him by the Civil Guard commanders. In fact, the agents have already taken statements from residents of the area where the flames originated, near the aforementioned Chivisaya viewpoint, which is accessed from the Los Loros highway.
Clavijo also revealed that an administrative file and a criminal file have been opened for three people who were located after breaking the security seal trying to carry out extinction maneuvers without permission in Las Laguneras. “These three people circumvented the security seals without any authorization. They have been identified and their conduct will have the corresponding punishment. It is an isolated but reprehensible event, ”explained the president of the Canary Islands Executive at a press conference.
The acting Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, also referred to this investigation during his visit yesterday to the fire that devastated the Forest Crown of Tenerife accompanied by another minister, the acting head of Tourism, Héctor Gómez from Tenerife, and the President of Canary Islands. Grande-Marlaska affirmed that the Civil Guard is working “from minute one” to find out the causes of the fire, while pointing out that right now “the important thing” is to fight the flames and that, in this sense, the Government of Spain is making “all the necessary and precise means” available to the Canary Islands.
«Seprona and the Civil Guard are working from minute one on assessing what could have been the main focus, the reasons, the cause… But now all the media are especially busy and concerned with fighting the fire and protecting the citizens, their properties and the natural heritage”, explained the minister after meeting with the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, with the heads of the units that are fighting the forest fire at the Arafo Advanced Command Post.
Marlaska has placed special emphasis on coordination and cooperation between the State, the Autonomous Community, the Cabildo de Tenerife and the town halls. “Let’s hope that in the next few hours the weather conditions will improve, although there is a forecast of more than 34 degrees and low humidity. The areas where the fire must be attacked and the areas in which defense work must be carried out have been established, “she clarified. He also insisted that we work with the conviction that “we have all the necessary material means.” “We can feel reasonably safe and we hope that in the next few days we can have the fire under control and that the weather is good,” he said.
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For his part, Fernando Clavijo wanted to thank the close collaboration with the Government of Spain. “It is a fire in which we have had many aerial resources, with the UME, but it has been the weather circumstances that have prevented it from being possible to dock by air or by land on occasions.” However, the Canarian president observed that the important thing is that the flames have not caused the loss of life and that the material damage does not go beyond a room of tools for the moment.
Two ministers have traveled to Tenerife to follow the operation against the fire. They are the acting head of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and Tourism, Héctor Gómez from Tenerife, who appear in the image yesterday at the Arafo control center together with the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Rosa Davilaand the Canarian president, Fernando Clavijo.