PODCAST: Catalonia's wildfire strategy - Insights from a world-class brigade

Catalonia frequently faces forest fires, which threaten ecosystems, wildlife and communities. This situation has been aggravated in recent years by climate change, drought and human activity, and throughout the summer months, fire risk is at its peak.

On this week’s podcast, we’ll be finding out how Catalonia’s firefighters and forest rangers are preparing emergency response measures and prevention strategies incorporating innovative technologies, as well as sharing their expertise by training international teams.

Press play below to listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or Spotify.

We meet David Borrell, head of the Bombers de la Generalitat, who explains how the fire brigade uses advanced tools—like drones and AI—for real-time monitoring and predictive analysis.

Chief inspector Antoni Mur from the Agents Rurals explains the role of Catalonia’s forest rangers in maintaining natural areas in order to reduce fire risks.

Plus, reporter Oriol Escudé joins host Beth Cohen to look back over the history of wildfires in Catalonia and discuss what this summer may bring. 

This week, our Catalan phrase is “Qui juga amb foc, es crema” - “He who plays with fire, gets burned”. It’s a proverb that warns against taking risks or behaving recklessly.

Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

Listen to more episodes of Filling the Sink below or find out more here.