Between 900 and 1,000 people can return to their homes this Monday after the Canary Islands Volcanic Risk Prevention Plan (Pevolca) agreed on Sunday to lift evacuations in several areas affected by the volcanic eruption of La Palma.

Carmen González, a neighbor of La Laguna, has explained in the program Here, with Josep Cuní, from SER Catalunya, who feel “happy and hopeful, but at the same time sad because not all those who have lost their homes have been able to return.”

The La Laguna neighbor had to leave her home in September and has lived in Los Llanos ever since. But tonight he still won’t be able to sleep in it: “We have to clean. There is still a lot of ash and also damp, after being closed for so long. We will have to bring the furniture back to be able to live in it again.”

“Although we have to see each other from a distance due to COVID, all the neighbors are happy. We have a long way to go, but we will do it,” he explained. “These three months have been very hard, of constant agony, but always with hope. In this time there have been downturns, but we will all move forward together.”

Enabled areas

The technical director of Pevolca, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, has indicated that these areas meet safe conditions for the return of their inhabitants and has specified that 345 hectares are released through the north of the eruption that until now remained evacuated.

The areas in which the return of its inhabitants has been allowed are, on the north side, from the kilometer point of the San Nicolás highway, LP-212, in a straight line to point 44.41 of the Tamanca general highway , LP-202. From this point in a straight line to the fork in the Los Llanos de Aridane and Fuencaliente road and from there to the fork in the El Morro del Cabrito road and to the west 500 meters along the Cruz Chica road.

The area in which the evacuation is being lifted continues in a northwesterly direction until the junction of the LP-213 on the Los Barretos road. The lifting of evacuations continues in a westerly direction to the Las Martelas de Abajo road, to the north of the nucleus of La Laguna, and continues south towards the mountain of La Laguna, surrounding it from the north to the coastline with the sea . To the south, it is released from the north of kilometer 37.5 of the Jedey main road (LP2) and road 210 is closed.

The nucleus that is released at first is the evacuation of El Charco, but the new demarcation goes down to Jedey.

Previous gas measurements to avoid risks

Morcuende has indicated that you should not access underground spaces, such as garages, storage rooms or basements, without a prior gas measurement.

He has also recommended that you enter the buildings accompanied and, before turning on the electricity, the house should be ventilated for at least 15 minutes.

In case of dizziness, lack of air or strength or nausea, you have to leave the house and notify emergencies, has warned the technical director of Pevolca, who has also said that you must notify the city council in case you notice bulges, deformations or cracks in the home.

There are still 564 people staying in hotels and 40 in social health centers on the island.