Tenerife is preparing for summer with a record fire protection program.

Tenerife is preparing for the summer of 2025 with the largest forest fire protection program in its history. Never before have there been so many people, equipment, and resources dedicated to fighting fires on the island. Climate change makes this issue increasingly urgent.

The local authorities (Cabildo of Tenerife) have launched a program that will run until November 2, but it may be extended if the weather remains dry. In total, around a thousand people are involved.

Rosa Dávila, the head of the Cabildo, says that this is "a historic event to protect our forests, take care of nature, and, most importantly, protect people." Due to the heat, dryness, and large amounts of dry grass and branches, the island's authorities are doing everything possible to respond quickly to emergencies. "Climate change is no longer about the future, but about today, and we must be prepared for it," she added.

This year, everything is organized on a very large scale and in a coordinated manner. In addition to the forest firefighters (Brifor) and rapid response teams (Brivam), the program involves the military, police, civil guard, firefighters, rescuers, municipal teams, and employees of the Teide National Park. All of them will work together to respond to fires quickly and effectively.

An important innovation is the "Prometheus" program, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense. Thanks to it, 920 soldiers will patrol the most dangerous areas for 92 days, especially in mountainous areas where many people live.

Technology is also helping in the fight against fire. The Cabildo will install 70 smart sensors that will monitor 94% of the island's territory. This will cost 1.4 million euros and will last for three years. This system will help to quickly detect fires, use resources more efficiently, and improve the work of services related to nature conservation.

In the air, Tenerife has two of its own helicopters that operate year-round and can carry 1,000 liters of water. They are equipped with a location system. There are also helicopters from the government of the Canary Islands and an Air Tractor aircraft based on the island of La Gomera. New this year is nighttime aerial surveillance using helicopters, which expands control capabilities.

In addition, drones with thermal imagers and conventional cameras are being used. They can detect hot spots even in poor visibility and transmit images in real time to help make decisions on the ground. These devices are very useful for quickly detecting fires and analyzing their development.

In parallel with this, the Cabildo has invested heavily in updating ground equipment. In 2023-2025, 14 large forest tankers, 3 medium Unimog tankers, and 2 tankers with a capacity of 9,000 liters were purchased. In total, this cost about 6 million euros.

In 2025, four new heavy tankers with a capacity of 3,500 to 5,000 liters appeared. They are very convenient and efficient, can reach hard-to-reach places, and respond quickly to fires where it was previously difficult to do so.

In addition to surveillance and extinguishing equipment, Tenerife is betting heavily on prevention. For example, livestock are used for grazing to reduce the amount of dry grass and branches. The Cabildo has launched a pilot project for which 90,000 euros have been allocated. It consists of using herds of goats to clear abandoned agricultural land near the forest.

Rosa Dávila explains that this "increases the value of a traditional occupation, such as grazing livestock, and at the same time makes it an effective way to care for the forest."

Another important measure is the Tenerife Mountain Area Plan, which was launched in 2024. 3.6 million euros have been allocated to it, and it is planned to be completed in three years. This plan combines safety, stability, and nature restoration through more than 220 measures in 19 municipalities in the northwest of the island. These include reducing dry vegetation in dangerous areas, creating shelters for animals on private farms, training local residents in safety rules, and so on.

On an island where 25% of the population lives near the forest, this plan is changing the approach to risk management by involving ordinary people in creating a protective belt.

Blanca Pérez, Councilor for Nature, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies, recalls that this program "is the result of planning and listening to those who work on the ground." She also emphasizes that prevention "is as important as extinguishing, and that in the context of climate change, it is necessary to reduce the vulnerability of the territory."

Thanks to this large-scale program, Tenerife has more resources, better coordination, and a comprehensive strategy that combines prevention, technology, and citizen participation. This shows that the island has learned from past experiences and is better prepared than ever to protect its forests, nature, and residents.