The advance of the forest fire that broke out on Saturday in the northwest of La Palma has slowed down during the night thanks to the change in weather conditions and the deployment of a hundred emergency personnel, but it has already entered the limits of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, where work is being done to prevent it from spreading.
According to reports from the advanced command post by the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the Minister of Tourism, Héctor Gómez, the number of evacuees has not changed and remains at more than 4,000 residents and the affected area is around 4,650 hectares, mainly in Puntagorda and Tijarafe.
This Sunday nine helicopters and two seaplanes will take turns in constant unloading routines to attack the main flanks of the fire and try to contain the flames, on which 152,000 liters of water have already been dropped in 241 discharges.
The night has favored the work against the fire, with a decrease in temperature, an increase in humidity and a wind that has not been as strong as expected.
A couple of firebreaks and counterfire actions were carried out that allowed the fire's path to be cut off.
The wind blows from the northeast in the morning, but the weather forecast points to a change to the northwest from three or four in the afternoon, which will lead to reinforcing the attack with aerial means to avoid the fire pushing towards the Caldera de Taburiente.
In the morning, the aerial means, eleven in total, including one for coordination, had to delay their entry into action somewhat due to cloudiness, but they are already operating in shifts with three or four in the air at all times.
Of the more than 4,000 evacuees, about 200 have spent the night in the shelters set up, attended by the Red Cross, and domestic animals have also been collected and kept.
There have been no new effects on homes. For now, twenty affected buildings have been counted, including homes, tool sheds or wineries.
Fernando Clavijo has thanked the King Felipe VI, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, for their messages of support.
Minister Héctor Gómez has stressed that this Sunday there is "a different framework" after the rapid evolution of the flames on Saturday and highlighted the excellent operation of the operation, coordinated by the Government of the Canary Islands, and to which the State contributes two seaplanes and a large deployment of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), among other resources.
The UME will reinforce its support with 86 more troops who are in flight from the Morón Air Base (Seville).
Rafael García, director of the extinction operation, explained that in the Puntagorda area, the municipality where the fire originated and which remains completely evacuated, work is being done to cool the lower front of the fire to prevent it from advancing towards the lower part of the municipality.
To the north, the strategy is to prevent it from spreading beyond the Izcagua ravine, and in the south, the helicopter-transported teams and the UME are concentrating on extinguishing the fire up to the El Time area.
In the Caldera de Taburiente, aerial means are being used to contain the evolution of the flames in the National Park.
Marta Román, regional head of Civil Protection and Emergencies, has indicated that the LP-1 and LP-4 roads remain closed and people are being evacuated in Puntallana and in the center of Tijarafe.
She urged that no one approach the fire area and that the instructions of the authorities be followed at all times