01 August 2007 Firefighters have managed to contain the blaze which broke out Monday morning in Icod de los Vinos and Los Realejos. Speaking this morning at an emergency press conference, Sr Melchior said the current perimeter of the bush fire is still reported to be 71.15kms covering an area of 14,870 hectares of bushland, crops and abandoned farmland, 25 per cent of which is woodland. Around 8,000 people have been evacuated form their homes.

The president confirmed that the fire has been extinguished in the eastern area which leads to the Orotava Valley, while the Armed Forces and the Teide National Park brigade are working hard to hose down the area to prevent further outbreaks.

In the south, which borders the Teide National Park, the situation is also reported to be stable and a fire block has been set up in the Retamar area to prevent the fire from spreading to the retama plants in the National Park if the wind changes direction.

The situation in the North, the area of most concern yesterday, is also reported to be stable thanks to firemen, the Environment Ministry brigade and the army working all night as well as in San José de los Llanos, Ruigomez, Erjos and La Montañeta but in the Genovés area of Garachico, a fire block was set up. The Army Emergency Unit and the Ministry for the Environment's forest brigade are currently cooling down the burned area.

From Icod to Los Realejos and in Las Abiertas, La Florida and El Amparo, the fire has also been stabilised.

Ricardo Melchior also confirmed that the situation was under control and mobile phones were working in Buenavista, Santiago del Teide, El Tanque and Garachico. There were no fires in the Monte del Agua forest reserve but in Masca, which is classed as a village of national cultural interest, four of the 80 homes in the area had been burned.

The fires are also under control in Arguayo and Chío but there is still a blaze in the Tagara gorge, which is expected to be brought under control during the day.

The president stressed that now and over the next few days it was vital to cool down the affected areas.This operation would make use of all the firefighting equipment available.

He thanked the Cabildos of El Hierro and Fuerteventura, the UME and the 45 firefighters who were specially flown in from Madrid.

Sr Melchior also announced that today two Kamov helicopters and two Air Tractors would fly in to assist the 6 helicopers and one hydroplane with the task of cooling down the scorched land. He confirmed that the power lines were being repared and affected telephone lines would also be operative but that four roads are still cut off: Boca Tauce-Chío, Icod el Alto-La Guancha, Icod-Puerto de Erjos and Buenavista- Santiago del Teide. The following roads are now open: El Tanque-Erjos, Chío-Santiago del Teide and Chío via Arguayo . Continues…

The two blazes which started yesterday in Las Lajas in Tacoronte and Pedro Alvarez in Tegueste have been brought under control.

Attempts to bring the fires under control have been hampred by the very strong winds and unusually high temperatures. Tenerife has 500,00 hectares of forest, the Canary Island with the most woodland. The president added that every year there are around 120 forest fires but a high percentage of them are deliberately started by people who are familiar with the mountains. Only one in every thousand outbreaks becomes a forest fire thanks to the good work of the local teams of fire fighters and forest rangers.

There will be an emergency press conference today at 19.00 in the Pabellón Santiago Martín, La Laguna.