Preparations under way for forest fire season

Summer is just around the corner.  And with it come the perils of the searing heat and dry weather: Forest fires. The Catalan climate and plant life make the perfect combination for them to thrive. In a pine forest, for example, to spread like wildfire takes on a new meaning. In a parched woodland, for example, to spread like wildfire takes on a new meaning.

Despite the heavy rainfall this year, forest fires remain an all too real possibility. In the early hours of Thursday morning, firefighters in the north of the country had to do just that, facing a challenge they are all too familiar with: A fire in wooded land, burning until the dawn. It occurred in the municipality of Llançà, close to the border with France, and began around 3am. The Catalan fire brigade got it under control by morning.

As the wildfire season gets underway, so do preparations to keep people safe. And this year, Catalonia’s rural agents have a technological trick up their sleeve to aid them in the fight against forest fires: drones with thermal cameras.

As with many things, prevention is better than cure. And this is exactly what the department of agriculture works towards.

“24 hours a day, every day of the year, it prevents, makes predictions, so that no type of these fires that we all know too well take place,” said Teresa Jordà, minister of agriculture on Thursday.

This year rural agents will make use of 230 new cars and pick-up trucks. They are constantly on the look-out, using satellite technology as their eyes in the sky to make sure they catch a fire just in time. After all, the longer it’s been burning, if the conditions are right, the harder it is to extinguish.

But it’s not just up to the government to make sure fires don’t start. More often than not, the cause of an inferno is nothing more than a careless act.

“We must remember that 8 out of every 10 fires is caused by humans,” explained Jordà. While in many cases it may be a simple mistake, sometimes it is pure arson. 26% of forest fires in Catalonia are intentional. In 2017, a total of 1,983 hectares were burned throughout Catalonia. 

"Our obsession is minimizing risks, and working in this line because we believe that investing in prevention is investing in the future, and avoiding big, devastating fires," the minister said. 

More than 600 rural agents and engineers work in fire management and prevention, alongside around 7,600 volunteers who also help in the fight against fires.