We talk about Forest fire when the fire covers a minimum surface of 0.5 hectares in a piece and at least part of the shrub and/or tree levels is destroyed. The term fire also applies to smaller subforestry formations, such as thickets and moors.
Los fires Forestry may have natural or human origin. In Spain 90% of fires are caused by the human being and the remaining 10% for rays. In the case of human responsibility, the cause can be intentional, unintentional, accidental or related to infrastructure.
Cantabria: Combat and prevention of forest fires
The Government of Cantabria and the Delegation of the Government of Spain have highlighted the coordination and improvement of means to combat and prevent forest fires In the Autonomous Community, one of the most affected in the country by this type of accidents and that are of intentional origin in its entirety.
In 2024, More than 700 forest fires were caused in Cantabria and almost 12,000 hectares burnedaccording to provisional data from the Regional Executive. Likewise, during the past year, the joint work of the natural environment of the Cantabrian Government and the Civil Guard agents was key to the arrest of seven people for their alleged involvement in fires Forestry registered in the community.
These are the main data and conclusions of the coordination meeting between both administrations Public, in which the Minister of Rural Development, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, María Jesús Suinos; the Government delegate in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego; the chief colonel of the Civil Guard Command in the community, Antonio Orantos; the general director of Montes and Biodiversity, Ángel Serdio, and Captain Rafael Vázquez, head of the Seprona.
Both the counselor and the Government delegate have stood out after this meeting that the fight against this threat requires “coordination, prevention and a forceful response.” Susinos has declared that joint work “is paying off” with more media and surveillance equipment in the mountains, which are essential, he said, To identify and demonstrate these environmental crimesthat are being “endorsed” later by justice.
At this point, it has valued the work carried out by forest firefighters, the agents of the natural environment, technicians, broadcasters, the Seprona and the Roca Group of the Civil Guard, together with the citizen collaboration, on the way to strengthen the prevention and investigation of the fires forestry. «We are proud, but not satisfied because Among all we have to continue taking care of our environmental heritage«, The counselor stressed, after which he has valued the training of autonomic natural environment to strengthen legal certainty and improve the investigation processes of the causes carried out by the Civil Guard and who, later, end up in firm convictions for environmental crimes
Susinos also signed up for the agreement that maintains its department with the Ministry of Interior to provide the agents of the Civil Guard to the agents in the fight against the fight against the best media fires Forestry worth 25,000 euros per year, and is intended for acquisition, for example, of drones and cameras, among other means. For its part, the Government delegate in Cantabria has advocated “not to lower the guard”, given that the community is, together with Asturias and Galicia, one of the most affected in the country and Most fires “continue to have an intentional origin.”
«In the last two years, 50 presumed responsible for fires And there are already nine convictions, ”said Gomez de Diego, who has also highlighted the reinforcement of the technological media” with more advanced tools “, thanks to the agreement between the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry. «We have gone from 7 to 12 video surveillance equipment, which allows us prove more precision the authorship of fires«, The delegate has highlighted, which has also valued the joint work between Seprona, the Civil Guard, the agents of the natural environment and the Environment Prosecutor’s Office.
Prevent wild fauna abuses
On the other hand, the Coordination Meeting between the State and Cantabria has served to address the actions within the working group between both administrations To reduce the accidents caused by wild fauna on the roads of the community.
The counselor Susinos has indicated that the constitution of this group was a pioneer in Spain and has Outstanding the scope of the measures that have contributed to stabilize the figures and the problemin the face of the increase of these accidents in other autonomies.
In this same sense, the Government delegate has manifested, who believes that this result “is not the result of chance”, but of the “coordinated work” between the Provincial Headquarters of Traffic, the Civil Guard and the Autonomous Government, which “have reinforced signaling in risk areas, improved fauna management and aware of the drivers ».
«Our commitment is clear: advance in the protection of the natural environment and reinforce security on our roads with data -based strategies, investment in technology and close cooperation between administrations. We will continue working with determination for Cantabria to be a safer and protected territory against the fires and other environmental risks, ”concluded Gomez de Diego.