Canarian Weekly
24-08-2012, 12:20
A SENIOR park official in La Gomera says he and his colleagues are certain the fire which has been burning since 4th August is the work of arsonists.
They are convinced it was yet another attempt to destroy theGarajonayNational Park- a Unesco World Heritage site believed to be millions of years old and one of the greatest natural wonders inEurope.
Officials have recorded 30 attempts to set fire to the forest in the past year alone, and this blaze has so far destroyed 800 hectares of the Park.
They believe it will take at least 30 years to restore the damaged areas, and Park Director Ángel Fernández said: “We cannot forget that this was the work of environmental terrorists, and these criminals have been trying to do this since May.
“We have been able to stamp out various blazes since then, but this time they accomplished what they set out to do.”
The fire, which has forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents in different areas of La Gomera, has destroyed some 4,200 hectares of the island – 800 inside the Park itself.
“It is just an estimate, but this is a barbarity, seeing that Garajonay is one of the smallest natural parks,” said Fernández. “That figure represents 20% of the park’s 4,000 hectares.”
But La Gomera officials are keen to stress that the blaze has not harmed the island’s tourist areas because the lowest part of the valley has been unaffected.
Meanwhile, Canary Islands President Paulino Rivero has accused Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of ignoring the La Gomera emergency.
“This is the first time I have encountered a Spanish government that has no interest in asking me what is happening,” he said, after attending an emergency regional cabinet meeting.
The damage caused by fire to homes in Valle Gran Rey, which was among the areas first hit, amounts to some 5.5m euros. But most of it occurred when the blaze re-ignited after being quelled initially.
The Council is working on evaluating the cost of damage to other municipalities and, and how it will affect economic, social and environmental issues.
A Recovery Plan is being worked on and will be put into operation once the fire is completely under control, and the full extent of the harm it has caused is known
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/la-gomera-fire-work-arsonists-insist-officials/)
They are convinced it was yet another attempt to destroy theGarajonayNational Park- a Unesco World Heritage site believed to be millions of years old and one of the greatest natural wonders inEurope.
Officials have recorded 30 attempts to set fire to the forest in the past year alone, and this blaze has so far destroyed 800 hectares of the Park.
They believe it will take at least 30 years to restore the damaged areas, and Park Director Ángel Fernández said: “We cannot forget that this was the work of environmental terrorists, and these criminals have been trying to do this since May.
“We have been able to stamp out various blazes since then, but this time they accomplished what they set out to do.”
The fire, which has forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents in different areas of La Gomera, has destroyed some 4,200 hectares of the island – 800 inside the Park itself.
“It is just an estimate, but this is a barbarity, seeing that Garajonay is one of the smallest natural parks,” said Fernández. “That figure represents 20% of the park’s 4,000 hectares.”
But La Gomera officials are keen to stress that the blaze has not harmed the island’s tourist areas because the lowest part of the valley has been unaffected.
Meanwhile, Canary Islands President Paulino Rivero has accused Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of ignoring the La Gomera emergency.
“This is the first time I have encountered a Spanish government that has no interest in asking me what is happening,” he said, after attending an emergency regional cabinet meeting.
The damage caused by fire to homes in Valle Gran Rey, which was among the areas first hit, amounts to some 5.5m euros. But most of it occurred when the blaze re-ignited after being quelled initially.
The Council is working on evaluating the cost of damage to other municipalities and, and how it will affect economic, social and environmental issues.
A Recovery Plan is being worked on and will be put into operation once the fire is completely under control, and the full extent of the harm it has caused is known
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/la-gomera-fire-work-arsonists-insist-officials/)