Representatives of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies of the Ministry of the Interior and the Junta de Extremadura have participated in this meeting; as well as of Civil Guard, National Police, Military Emergency Unit, Air Base of Talavera la Real, Deputations of Badajoz and Cáceres, Hydrographic Confederations of Guadiana and Tagus, ADIF, Demarcation of Roads of the State, AEMET, FEMPEX, Civil Government of Cáceres and Portugal.
This meeting, which takes place every year, establishes the coordination protocols between all the administrations and agencies involved in the fight against fire in Extremadura, analyzes the means available for this work and the forecasts for the campaign that is now beginning.
Campaign 2023
During the year 2023, 328 conates of fires were recorded in Extremadura, which are those less than one hectare, while those greater than one hectare were 141, in total, 469 sinister, which represents a decrease of 39% and 1 fire was recorded with more than 500 hectares burned, the great forest fire of Pinofranqueado in mid-May, which affected an area of 10,470 hectares. To deal with the emergency generated by this great fire, the Junta de Extremadura activated Operational Situation 2 of the Special Plan for Civil Protection against Forest Fires of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (INFOCAEX) and Level 2 of the INFOEX Plan, with the intervention of more than 600 troops, belonging to the Junta de Extremadura, the Deputations of Badajoz and Cáceres, local councils, the Government of Spain, and other Autonomous Communities, such as Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha and Castilla-León, and our country.
The forest area burnt in Extremadura during the year 2023 was 12,208 hectares, compared to 11,039 hectares in the previous year (9.6% more); five percent of the area burnt was of herbaceous vegetation (pastures and pasture); and the other 95% of woody vegetation (wooded and scrubland area and low mountain).
The government delegate has indicated that “Extremadura has a state-of-the-art system for preventing and extinguishing forest fires; to which must be added the effort made by the Junta de Extremadura throughout the year in terms of prevention and the collaboration of the BRIF of Pinofranqueado of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge”. Likewise, José Luis Quintana has highlighted the consolidation of the fire risk prediction system by municipalities; “a unique model in Spain that has been designed by the territorial delegation of the AEMET in Extremadura and that has functioned fully to performance in the previous five years, in our region and the whole country”.
Media
The Ministry of Ecological Transition, represented at the meeting, reported on the means that will operate like other years in Extremadura, whose relationship is detailed below:
● The Pinofranqueado Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigade (BRIF-A), composed of about 60 people and two helicopters, which can transport the BRIFs, and is equipped with a helibalde with a minimum capacity of 1,200 liters, which can support the work of these brigades with water discharges.
● A “bomber” extinction helicopter, with helibalde operating from the base of Plasencia.
● A Canadair type hydroplane, model Cl-415 T, with a tank of 5,500 liters of water and base in Talavera la Real.
● A Mobile Analysis and Planning Unit (UMAP) based in Cáceres (formerly UMMT Mobile Units of Meteorology and Transmissions).
● A Forest Fire Prevention and Analysis Team (EPAIF) based in Cáceres (created in 2022 as a fusion of EPRIF services (integrated forest fire prevention teams) and UMAPs (mobile analysis and planning units)). These teams have two different types of core activities during the year: Linked or not linked to UMAP vehicle.
● A coordination and observation aircraft (ACO) based in Talavera la Real.
● As a novelty this year, based in the Mirabel airfield, the Ministry of Ecological Transition will have an amphibious aircraft (Fire Boss), which has the capacity to discharge water alone or mixed with additives (foams or retardants), with a minimum tank capacity of 2000 liters.
In addition, there is support from the Ministry of Defense through the UME (Military Emergency Unit), which will be incorporated into the work of extinguishing fires in cases in which the Junta de Extremadura, in application of the existing protocols, requests their collaboration.
Year 2024
On the day held this morning, the data relating to the current year were also provided. From January 1 to June 23, 2024, 1,801 conates of lower fires and 918 fires greater than one hectare have been produced nationwide.
The delegate of the Government recalled that, during the year 2023, the area affected by forest fires increased by 9.6% compared to the previous year in Extremadura, and that the meteorological conditions existing to date, although they have been favorable so far for the least development of important fires, have caused the existence of abundant combustible material, considerably increasing the risk of fire; therefore, we must continue to work in a coordinated manner between the different administrations in the prevention and extinguishment of fires, and warns that it is necessary to raise the awareness of the citizens to take precautionary measures conducive to avoiding fires, to inform, as soon as possible, before the detection of a fire and to provide their intentional investigation.
Therefore, in view of the period of maximum risk in which we are immersed, it is especially important to maintain adequate measures of prevention and preparation of extinguishing devices, especially in the event that the fires could affect the population and non-forest goods. In this sense, meetings such as today’s serve to fine-tune the organizational measures that guarantee the coordination of the actions foreseen in the State Emergency Plan for Forest Fires and its coordination with the INFOCAEX and INFOEX Plans of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura.
Precautions and research
Finally, the government delegate has asked all of Extremadura to be aware of the absolute need to take precautions and avoid recklessness since “most of the fires have their origin in human negligence, and that is something we must remedy as soon as possible for the good of all.” He also appealed to the importance of citizen involvement in this work: “It is essential,” he said, “to collaborate with citizens during the investigation of the fires that have been intentionally provoked. Therefore, any data or any possible clue can be more than essential to solve an investigation of this type.” During 2023, the Civil Guard charged 10 people for causing fires or for carrying out reckless actions. In the months leading up to 2024, one person has already been arrested and two others accused of causing fires.