This summer ends with a 46% less burned area compared to the average of the last 10 years in Spain, although forest fires like those of Portugal They tell us that we cannot let our guard down at any time and continue working on prevention so as not to depend on the weather and the efforts of an exhausted operation. The 17 major forest fires of the 5,663 total fires were responsible for the 40% of the burned surface. The summer forest fire campaignwhich takes place from June 1 to October 15ends in 2024 with a 46% less affected area compared to the average of the last decade.
This has happened due to different reasons. On the one hand, temperature, humidity and wind conditions have been and are favorable to prevent the spread of large forest fires.. On the other hand, for the reduction in the number of fires, 5,663 in total (33% less compared to the average for the decade), including 17 large forest fires that have been responsible for 40% of the burned surface.
The fire with the largest affected forest area of the year, however, took place outside of summer: it was the one that occurred at the end of January in Arredondo-Soba, Cantabria, with 2,410 hectares affected. And another key fact: 70% of the fires have remained in the beginning phase, that is, with less than 1 hectare affected, which is explained by the effectiveness of the extinction operations.
Good data cannot make us lose interest in our forests
“Although this reduction in the number of fires and the affected area may bring with it a lower perception of risk from fires, we must not let our guard down. It is necessary to reduce the accident rate and the spread of flames through the management of forest masses and compliance with planning. On the other hand, The revitalization of the rural environment is key, as well as bringing forest culture and the reality of forest fires in our country closer to society as a whole. Good data cannot make us lose interest in our forests”, declares Mónica Parrilla de Diego, spokesperson for Greenpeace Spain.
For the organization, it is worrying that the perception of the aggravating factor that climate change represents for the forest fires. In fact, in 2010 and 2011 the figures were good, and the organization warned against cuts and deprioritization in prevention and extinction with the report We can’t let our guard down. Then the fateful 2012 arrived. This must be a learning experience.
A cooler, wetter summer cannot challenge the reality of global warming either.. The data shows the opposite. Specifically, the weather this summer in Spain has been influenced by the accelerated warming of the Arctic, a product of melting ice and feedback effects that warm this region faster compared to the rest of the planet.
This summer in Spain has been cooler
This weakens the polar jet stream winds that typically trap cold air at high latitudes. As a result of the weakening of the jet stream, cold air masses have fallen further south than usual and warmer ones have risen to the north. This summer in Spain has been cooler, while others suffered high temperatures and, therefore, greater risk of forest fire.
And in this way, we saw a reducing the risk of forest fires in the Peninsulameanwhile, for example, In Greece the flames were approaching Athensforcing more than 50,000 people to evacuate.
Also to Portugal Cooler temperatures hit on September 5, and yet last week there was a wave of forest fires that has devastated more than 135,000 hectares and has taken seven lives. This occurred in a few days in which part of Spain shared an extreme risk of fires in many parts of the territory.
What happened recently in Portugal could have happened here. It is true that extinction operations in Spain are very professional and effective: in fact, 70% of forest fires end up in an attempt (less than 1 hectare) because the operations come and go, but it is also true that You cannot depend on the weather or the effectiveness of extinction: you have to prepare and manage the forest masses, as well as the population, to prevent disaster.
It is essential to allocate around 1 billion euros to manage the forest landscape on a national scale
After the dramatic year 2022 -the worst in the last 28 years, with 268,000 hectares burned30,000 people evicted and 4 people died -, different work spaces were created with experts to address the great challenge of large fires, from which the Declaration on the management of large forest fires in Spain in which it was agreed that It is urgent to manage at least 1% of the forest area on a national scale annually to prepare the territory against the passage of large forest firesand for this, It is essential to allocate around 1 billion euros to manage the forest landscape on a national scale.
Opportunities also arise in national plans in which the European Law on Nature Restoration Regulationapproved on June 17. For example, restoring spaces degraded by fire is an opportunity: its abandonment means unnatural forest masses, very far from maturity and very vulnerable to plagues and recurrent fires, since where there was fire the landscape is homogenized, generating an environment more prone to burning. Therefore, given the risk of large forest fires, it is important to establish restoration strategies.
Another solution to prevent the risk of high intensity forest fires is the management of hoaxesespecially those who They aim to blame protected areas and excessive conservationism of the worsening of the fires in Spain.
In this sense, the NGO presented the report this summer No, protected areas do not burn anymore. It will be key to analyze in depth the condition of the forest fires in protected areas in the different autonomous communities, coordinate and integrate the planning of protected areas and those for defense and extinction of forest fires.
And to do this, provide the economic and human resources to guarantee the management and conservation of protected areas, and effectively manage the planning instruments.