Operation ‘Centinela Canario 25’ comes to an end: military personnel with civil institutions to prevent wildfires in Tenerife

• The deployment has been highly effective ‘thanks to coordination, planning and direct interaction with the population,’ says Colonel Cherino, head of the “Centinela Canario” force

After three months of activation, Operation Centinela Canario 25 has concluded with significant success in terms of fire prevention and environmental protection. This operation was coordinated and directed by the Land Operations Command (MOT) both on the island of Tenerife and in Galicia, where it also deployed a large contingent to combat forest fires in both regions of Spain through surveillance, presence and deterrence.

Since 2024, this support operation has been carried out between 1 July and 30 September in Tenerife, with the deployment of more than 920 patrols in coordination with the Tenerife Island Council.

The operation involved units belonging to the 16th Canary Islands Brigade, the Canary Islands Command Headquarters Unit and, new this year, a helicopter patrol from BHELMA VI, based in Los Rodeos, which reinforced aerial surveillance capabilities when necessary. In total, more than 5,000 activities were carried out in terms of presence and surveillance, thus covering the areas of greatest risk on the island. All this effort involved the participation of more than 200 military personnel from the different units stationed on the island.

Colonel Alberto Cherino Muñoz, head of the force deployed in Tenerife, emphasised that ‘the operation has contributed to a reduction in the number of endeavors and fires compared to previous years, thanks to effective coordination between the Army, the Island Council and the State Security Forces, as well as detailed planning of patrols and direct interaction with the population’. Furthermore, and most significantly, he emphasises that this operation has ‘demonstrated the genuine commitment of the Army to serving the people of the Canary Islands, enabling direct interaction with the population and reinforcing the sense of security that our citizens need. We are very proud of the service we have provided, and we are all working together to protect our mountains.’

For his part, and as a summary of these three months of patrols in Tenerife, Major General Ramón Armada Vázquez —Chief of Staff of the Canary Islands Command and the Land Operations Command— emphasises that "Centinela has established itself as a fundamental element in preventing and responding to forest fires, which also reinforces public safety. Its main purpose has been to deter anyone who intends to deliberately start a fire, detect possible outbreaks in order to alert and, where necessary, act to extinguish them as quickly as possible. To this end, we have strengthened our contact with the civilian population and improved mutual understanding between society and the army, thereby protecting the forest environment.

Now that the deployment has been completed, Operation Centinela —Canario y Gallego— has established itself as a fundamental element in preventing and fighting forest fires, as well as providing direct support to citizens when necessary. All in all, this is an operation for which the Land Operations Command —the military and units that comprise it— is specially prepared due to its vocation for planning and conducting permanent operations in national territory involving presence, surveillance and deterrence.

The Land Operations Command

The Land Operations Command (MOT), under the command of Lieutenant General Julio Salom Herrera, is the Armed Forces body responsible for planning, conducting and monitoring all these operations under the operational control of the Operations Command.

Presence, surveillance and deterrence operations are an effective tool for maintaining vigilance over areas of national sovereignty, enabling early detection of threats and facilitating an immediate and viable response to a potential crisis.

The Operations Command

The Operations Command, under the Defence Staff, is responsible for planning and directing permanent operations on national territory designed to provide presence, maintain surveillance and create deterrence in land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. To fulfil these objectives, it has subordinate Land Operations Command (MOT), Maritime Operations Command (MOM), Air Operations Command (MOA), Space Operations Command (MOESPA) and Cyberspace Operations Command (MOC).