Heroes between the flames: the images of the soldiers of the UME in the fire of Tenerife

@DefAviation ES 8·22·2023 · 21:31 0

On August 15, a week ago, a serious forest fire started in the center of the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.

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The fire has razed more than 14,000 hectares in a total of 12 municipalities, forcing the eviction of thousands of people. The Civil Guard has confirmed that the fire was caused, something that was already suspected from its inception. On August 16, the Second Emergency Intervention Battalion (BIEM II) of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), based in Morón (Seville), deployed 109 soldiers and 34 vehicles to Tenerife, in its third intervention this summer in the Canary Islands, after the fires that affected the islands of La Palma and Gran Canaria in the month of July. You can see here some photos of this intervention.

An Airbus A400M Atlas from the 31st Wing of the Air Force (31-27, TK.23-07) flew on the morning of August 18 from the Zaragoza Air Base to Tenerife, transporting 10 containers of retardant material for civil aircraft and 2 containers of foaming agent to collaborate in the extinction work.

BIEM II soldiers during a night intervention.

A firefighting seaplane from the 43rd Air Force Group flying over the area of the Tenerife fire. These planes fly within the framework of the UME in these missions.

BIEM II soldiers in the area of the fire on the night of August 16-17.

A Heavy Feeder Pump (BNP) Iveco Trakker 350 BIEM II truck in the area of the fire, on August 17.

Four BIEM II soldiers in a photo taken on August 17, at the beginning of the deployment of the UME in this serious forest fire. On the left we see an IVECO ML140E28W pumper truck.

A BIEM II soldier in the middle of hell. An image that shows us the harsh environment in which these soldiers have to fight. The photo was taken on August 17.

Three BIEM II soldiers next to a Renault Trucks K 430 pumper truck, on August 18.

BIEM II soldiers firing water at the area of the fire, at night, on August 18. In the background we can see the Renault Trucks K 430 pumper truck again.

A BIEM II soldier directing his hose against the flames, in a photo taken on August 19. One of the risks of this type of action is that the flames end up surrounding the extinguishing equipment, due to the action of the wind, so they must always be alert.

Two BIEM II soldiers facing the flames on the night of August 21.

A Renault Trucks K 430 pumper truck and BIEM II soldiers fighting the flames in the area of the fire.

Soldiers from the UME and the Spanish Army recharging water in a well. The red truck is an Iveco Trakker 350 Heavy Feeder Pump (BNP), with a capacity for 13,500 liters of water. The other truck is an Iveco Trakker 450 of the Army, transporting a cistern.

An IVECO FF140E28W pumper truck from the BIEM II with its blue beacon lights on. In the background we see the front of flames. A terrifying image.

BIEM II soldiers in the area of the fire on the night of August 21.

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Photos: Unidad Militar de Emergencias / Ejército del Aire / Ministerio de Defensa.