Fire strikes rainforest on Gomera Island
The Island of Gomera is located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 miles off the northwest African coast. Gomera is one of the Canary Islands, with jagged volcanic land, steep mountains and canyons, and dry grasses and brushlands, but also permanent damp laurel tree forests, known as Bosque El Cedro, around the island's highest rise. This island chain's “rainforests” actually are evergreen forests with a constant quantity of precipitation from about 70 to 197 inches. However, the Gomera rainforest receives only about 31 to 35 inches of precipitation, so it could be integrated into the botanical line of tropical fog forests.
The weather of Gomera is always warm and sunny, a bit cooler in the north and very hot and dry in the south. In the high ranges of the laurel tree forest, the trade winds make a permanent fog that rains down on to the dense forests as well as on to the green valleys of the islands northern part. The south is very dry, tropical, hot and dusty, making that part of the island one of most fire endangered regions.
Only 16,000 people live in the few towns and villages of the island; 5,600 of them reside in the main town of San Sebastian. The island has only a few fire brigades in the larger communities, equipped with engines and small fire trucks with slip-on tanks and pumps.
In the Parque Nacional Garajonay and surrounding areas there are fire brigades of the Spanish Conservation Department's Instituto para la Conservacion de la Naturalezza, or ICONA, on duty. They are responsible for the national forests of Agulo, Alajero, Hermingua, San Sebastian, Valle Gran Rey and Vallhermoso. In those areas, there are several foresters' houses that also serve as fire stations with ICONA fire engines. The forest fire apparatus consist of wildland engines with tank capacities of 3,500 and 9,500 liters, built by Spanish manufacturers. Mobile ICONA forest patrols with small fire trucks carrying slip-on tanks and pumps are on duty during the day.
The dangers of forest and wildfires on Gomera island was shown during a deathly incident on Sept. 11, 1984, when a wildfire was reported near the small village of La Laja. The island's administration called the governor of Teneriffa, the Canary main island, for technical assistance. Teneriffa could send only a single fire engine and a private helicopter with the governor as a passenger. When he stood with his 19-member staff on a hill above the fire area, the wind changed suddenly. Flames struck like a chimney out of the canyon up to the hill where the group stood, killing all 20 people.
The most essential job of ICONA firefighters is fire prevention. Fire brigades cut the grass and brush beside the roads as well as the mostly dry branches of the palm trees — one of the highest fire dangers on the island. The ICONA firefighters also are responsible for controlled burnings of grass and brush areas in the borderlands of the national park, in cooperation with the community fire brigades. Homeowners must keep their properties clear of grass, brush or — special to Gomera — cactus.
Most of the wildfires on Gomera island begin in the southern outside areas of the national park. From there they spread up the laurel trees and heath populations with a very high head evolution, destroying valuable nature and living spaces.
Gomera's fire service can't be measured with the standards of Germany or the United States. “Manana,” or tomorrow, is the most important word to the inhabitants, which influences their responsibilities and mentalities. Nevertheless, Gomera's firefighters do their best to save nature, environment, properties and population.
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