Adeje Council mobilised all its resources on Thursday to participate in the simulated volcanic risk drill, VOLCANEX Tenerife 2026, organised by the Tenerife Island Council. The exercise was carried out smoothly in the municipality, which involved the simulated evacuation of people from a hotel in Guía de Isora.
The Adeje Local Police welcomed participants at the town entrance and escorted them to the Las Torres pavilion, where responders carried out the planned triage process.
Mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga described the drill as successful, noting good participation and efficiency among all involved. He highlighted that Adeje’s role was to manage the evacuation from the Guía hotel, which proceeded as expected.
Fraga commented positively on the day, stating, “I hope we never have to use it, but it’s good that we are prepared to manage emergencies as intelligently as possible with minimal issues.”
The mayor stressed the importance of including tourists in such exercises. “There could come a time when airports are closed, and we need to know how to handle tourists. They are a vulnerable population that requires careful planning. We have participants from various countries, and we need to consider how to facilitate their departure from the island with the proper documentation and language support. The consulates of the UK and Germany were very active during this exercise,” he added.
Mercedes Vargas Delgado, the councillor for Citizen Security and Civil Protection, explained that they hosted evacuees from the Hotel Terrazas de Abama that morning. She confirmed the participation of Adeje went according to plan.
Vargas also mentioned that the drill helped identify areas for improvement, particularly in coordination between different administrations. “These insights will be beneficial for future exercises and, especially, during a real volcanic emergency, where collaboration is vital for effectively managing the situation,” she noted.
This was the first time a volcanic risk drill in Tenerife included a tourist-oriented approach. Approximately 80 students from the Los Gladiolos Vocational Training Centre acted as tourists being evacuated from a hotel. Once at Las Torres pavilion, they were sorted according to their circumstances, with support from the UK and German consulates. The Adeje Council also managed the provision of supplies.
Alongside the Local Police, various council departments—including Social Services, Older People, Animal Welfare, Communication, and Sports—were involved in the exercise, with support from Adeje Civil Protection and volunteers from other organisations.
The drill simulated the lead-up to a potential eruption without actual volcanic activity occurring. The scenario depicted an increase in volcanic activity in the Abeque sector, with potential impacts on several municipalities in southwest Tenerife and a volcanic alert raised to level orange.
To prepare for their involvement, the council held several coordination meetings with the relevant municipal departments, which will continue to ensure that each knows its role within the Municipal Emergency Plan.
