The Canary Islands Government has activated the Territorial Emergency Plan for Civil Protection (Plateca) in a state of "alert" following an outbreak of fire at the Zonzamas environmental complex near Costa Teguise in the east of Lanzarote. All available firefighting resources on the island have been mobilised to tackle the blaze.
This decision was made in accordance with Civil Protection criteria, given the severity of the fire, to ensure effective monitoring and deployment of necessary resources, according to a statement from the General Directorate of Emergencies of the Canary Islands.
Firefighters have worked through the night to contain the fire and will continue this morning assisted by a GES helicopter that will drop water on the flames from the air.
The Cabildo has urged citizens to avoid approaching the area of the landfill site for safety reasons. The 112 Emergency Service of the Canary Islands advises residents who might be affected by the smoke to close doors and windows and avoid going outside as a precaution against smoke inhalation.
The 112 call centre received notification of the fire at Zonzamas shortly after 7:00pm last night (Monday). The fire, which began in an area of pruned waste, quickly spread to other parts of the complex, creating a thick column of black smoke, as reported by the General Directorate of Emergencies.
