Centinela Canario’ Operation starts, a campaign to prevent forest fires.

• This year, drones from the Army will be deployed to bolster aerial surveillance of Tenerife’s mountains and most vulnerable areas

‘Centinela Canario’ Operation, the military operation for the surveillance and prevention of forest fires in Tenerife, has now been activated. This deployment is being carried out in coordination with the Tenerife Island Council’s Forestry Units and the State Security Forces.

The ‘La Cuesta’ Engineers’ Barracks hosted the presentation ceremony and the symbolic departure of the first convoy for the mountains. The event was presided over by the President of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila, and the Chief of Staff of the Canary Islands Command, Major General Alfonso Pardo de Santayana, accompanied by a delegation of personnel, operational vehicles and a unit from the 6th Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion (BHELMA VI).

The main new feature of this year’s campaign is the introduction of Army drones. These unmanned aerial vehicles will bolster aerial surveillance, significantly enhance early-detection capabilities in areas that are difficult to access, and improve the safety of personnel deployed on the ground.

The civil and military operation will remain in place from 1 July to 30 September, coinciding with the months of greatest weather-related risk. During these 92 days, 920 patrols are scheduled to be carried out through coordinated shifts that will ensure active coverage 24 hours a day.

On a daily basis, the military operation will involve the deployment of up to ten land patrols, comprising 32 military personnel and 14 vehicles constantly on the move through the island’s protected forest areas and its most vulnerable zones.

Units from the 16th ‘Canarias’ Brigade, the Canary Islands Command Headquarters Unit and the 6th Manoeuvre Helicopter Battalion (BHELMA VI) are taking part in the operation.

Brigadier General José Ramón Collazo Mazaira, commander of the 16th ‘Canarias’ Brigade, will serve as commander of the force deployed during the operation, which will operate under the operational control of the Operations Command via the Land Operations Command.

‘Operation Sentinel’

The Armed Forces’ operation for the surveillance and deterrence of forest fires is called ‘Centinela’ and is carried out in Galicia and Tenerife (‘Centinela Gallego’ and ‘Centinela Canario’). ‘Operation Prometeo’ is the deployment carried out in coordination with the Forestry Units of the Tenerife Island Council and the State Security Forces to prevent and combat forest fires. 

The main tasks of the patrols are to monitor and maintain a deterrent presence in their assigned areas, to provide early information to the fire services regarding any fire outbreaks or fires they observe, and to notify the State Security Forces of the presence of individuals who may be involved in starting deliberate fires.