Fires again - to prevent fires

The scene in Valle Gran Rey a few days ago.

Many locals and visitors got a bit of a shock recently when whole valleys on La Gomera were suddenly smoke-filled again and many fires were seen burning. This spectacle was seen several times in different valleys across the island and especially children and old people were alarmed by the smell of smoke which reminded them of the horrific fires in the summer of 2012 that led to the evacuation of thousands last year. 

Well, the fires were due to the clean-up in these valleys where palms and other trees were freed from dead branches and the ground was cleaned and weeds and other flammable materials were gathered. While some of the organic material is being shredded to be used for composting, the amounts were so large that a lot of it was burned in situ between the rains. Local pressure group La Gomera Se Mueve have called this action a waste of valuable fertiliser and an unnecessary psychological stress for a population that has barely recovered from last year's ordeal.