Ricardo Melchior, president of the the Island Government, has visited the area affected by last week's devastating forest fires. The president was accompanied by the island's Environment chief Wladimiro Rodríguez, the councillor for Farming, Livestock and Fisheries, José Joaquín Bethencourt and the Social Services chief, Cristina Valido. Jorge Bonnet, Tenerife's director of the Urban Environment and Landscape, was also present on the inspection tour.  

During the walkabout, the president spoke to people who are suffering the consequences of the blaze, which broke out Monday and has caused damage to property, livestock and land in ten districts in the island's North and North West. He also inspected work being carried out in each of the affected areas.

The mayors of the ten districts highlighted the good will of local residents who collaborated at all times in the evacuation operation and they praised local companies, public bodies and organisations for kindly volunteering their support.

The vice president of the Cabildo and Social Services chief, Cristina Valido, told victims that an emergency financial aid package had been approved by the Cabildo last Monday and this cash would be compatible with any other aid handed out by other public institutions. The idea is to help relieve the immediate financial pressure on the houshold income of those people who have lost their homes, crops or livestock as a result of the blaze.

Valido explained that financial aid of 3000 euros per family will quickly be made available to the victims whose properties or farms have been damaged by fire and where the damage has been valued at over 6000 euros. Applications will be processed at the town halls through the social services departments who will be working hand in hand with the Cabildo's Instituto Social y Sociosantiaria (IASS) and staff at the Cabildo's External Agriculture Sections.

Damage and losses to the primary sector have been heavy and estimated at 1.5 million euros according to José Joaquín Bethencourt,  the chief of the island's agriculture department. Most affected have been crops like cereals and potatoes as well as grazing land with losses in the region of 400,000 euros. In some areas the fire even spread down to areas planted with grapevines, which has severely affected some plantations like in Valle Arriba in Santiago del Teide.