An extensive emergency response was set in motion this Wednesday afternoon in the southern mountain village of Fataga, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, where a fire broke affecting palm trees located near several homes in the village.
National Police, Local Police, Emergency Consortium Fire Fighters, The Cabildo’s Environment Agency, and San Bartolomé de Tirajana Firefighters have also been dispatched to the scene.
The south has been experiencing temperatures nearing 30ºC in the shade, with 26ºC measured in the nearby town of Tunte, winds gusting up to 34 km per hour and low humidity of 21% at 4 pm, according to readings taken by the meteorological station installed by AEMET, the Spanish State Meteorological Agency.
Within an hour authorities felt they had the blaze under control, after about 2,000 sq m of terrain were affected and at least 12 people had to be evacuated. Policia Local on the scene said they thought the road we reopen to traffic within the next couple of hours.
Exclusive images, courtesy of Elise Ward ©
The Cabildo de Gran Canaria announced the fire to be under control at about 18:00 saying “A wildfire of about 2,000 square meters, declared north of Fataga, has been stabilized. Two firefighting teams and two helicopters from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and the Government of the Canary Islands are currently operating in the area. As a precaution, the homes within the perimeter have been evacuated.”
