Tenerife Hails Success of 'Biggest Ever' Fire Season

Tenerife's Island Council has successfully finished its 2025 forest fire season, which ran from June 2 to November 2. Officials called it "the biggest effort in terms of equipment and technology ever seen for firefighting on the island," involving over 1,000 professionals.

On Monday, Island Council President Rosa Dávila and Natural Environment Councillor Blanca Pérez shared the results of the season. They reported 34 small fires that weren't in forests, burning a total of 9,761 square meters, with each fire averaging about 300 square meters.

There were also 12 forest fires, which affected 81.8 hectares. Most of this damage came from the Los Partidos de Franquis fire during the previous campaign. During this season, patrols drove about 150,000 kilometers for prevention and monitoring.

President Dávila stated, "This year, we used the most human and material resources Tenerife has ever had to protect its forests and people." She emphasized the strong teamwork between different government bodies, which improved after the huge 2023 fire that burned nearly 15,000 hectares and changed "how the island plans for its forests forever."

Dávila highlighted that the 2025 effort not only stopped big fires but also cut the average response time to under 20 minutes. This was possible due to new technology and better communication between the main command center and teams on the ground.

Natural Environment Councillor Blanca Pérez explained that the campaign's success comes from a yearly strategy that combines preventing fires, watching for them, and responding quickly.

She added, "During the months with high fire risk, we completed over 300 preventive tasks. These included clearing brush, creating firebreaks, and maintaining forest roads. We also boosted our surveillance in areas where towns meet forests, as these are the most vulnerable."

The Island Council invested over 3.5 million euros in these efforts. The Canary Islands Government and the Government Delegation also contributed, helping to fund training, practice drills, and new technical equipment.

More than a thousand professionals were directly involved in the campaign. This included the Forest Brigades (BRIFOR), the Firefighters' Consortium, the Civil Guard (including Seprona and Traffic helicopters), the Canary Islands Police, the Island Council's Environment Department, UME, the Red Cross, and Civil Protection teams.

Lieutenant General Julio Salom, head of the Canary Islands Command, praised the "excellent teamwork" with the Island Council and other civilian groups.

Colonel Alberto Cherino, acting chief colonel of the "Canarias" XVI Brigade, pointed out that Operation Prometheus, a joint civil-military exercise this year, helped "establish a reliable way to handle complicated forest emergencies."

Pedro Martínez and José María Sánchez, the technical managers for the operation, agreed that better technology was "crucial" for predicting fires.

The island's surveillance system now uses over 30 thermal and optical cameras placed in high-risk areas. These cameras send live images to the Island Operational Coordination Center (CECOPIN).

On top of this, a network of weather sensors and a computer system combine data on wind, humidity, and temperature to create up-to-date risk maps.

Martínez explained, "Because of this early detection system, only two fires in 2025 grew larger than 10 hectares, compared to seven the year before."

The island president reminded everyone that many of this year's improvements came from lessons learned after the 2023 fire. That blaze affected 12 towns and required over 600 people to work for weeks.

Dávila noted, "That difficult experience made us rethink how we handle emergencies. Now, Tenerife has a stronger system with one main command, clear rules, and the ability to quickly deploy teams."

She also highlighted that public awareness has grown, leading to far fewer reports of carelessness and illegal agricultural burning.

Even though the official high-risk fire season ends in October, the Island Council will continue its work through the winter. This includes planting new trees, maintaining roads, restoring damaged areas, and training emergency staff.

Councillor Blanca Pérez warned, "Fires aren't just fought in the summer."

She added, "The work we do during the colder months decides how much risk there will be when hot weather arrives. So, we will keep teams working and invest in prevention all year round."