forest

Government issues call to reduce water consumption "at all levels"

Organizers are collecting signatures to replant trees, restore roads, and rebuild an old bridge

Eugeni Darnaculleta urges better forest management from local administration amid spate of summer wildfires

More than 5,500 hectares already burning in Tarragona region with up to 20,000 at risk

On the anniversary of the 1998 fire that destroyed 24,000 hectares, experts warn that the risk remains high

Risk of forest blazes is “much higher” due to high temperatures, lack of rain, and heat waves caused by climate change

The Catalan government has set the maximum alert level for forest fires’ risk in 30 regions, most of them in central Catalonia, due to the high temperatures registered in the last few days, which exceeded 40 degrees in some areas. On Tuesday alone, 86 wild fires hit different regions of Catalonia simultaneously. However, the most important one occurred this Tuesday in Vallbona de les Monges, a small village 40 kilometres west from the city of Lleida. In less than 5 hours, the fire burned nearly 900 hectares, most of them cereal crops. The firefighters sent 55 land resources and 3 aerial’s, which achieved to stabilise the fire by Wednesday morning. However, they continue to water the perimeter to prevent the fire from reviving.

It is expected that the heat wave will last from Thursday to Saturday and that temperatures will climb to at least 34ºC throughout Catalonia. The Catalan Government has closed eight forest areas of high risk and has limited agricultural activity. Civil Protection is on ‘pre-alert’ in 27 counties and firefighters have began pre-emptive surveillance of areas that will be at risk. In other developments, the Catalan Police have found DNA on the cigarette butt which started the fires in Portbou.

Firefighters from Catalonia will be sharing their knowledge and experience of different types of fire. Catalan firefighters have experience with various kinds of fire because of Catalonia’s geographic diversity. The organisers of the bespoke courses designed for the varied conditions in Ireland, France and Wales, have stated that the accumulated experience “should not just remain in Catalonia but be taught internationally”.

The Catalan capital proposes an Art Nouveau pavilion in the former Sant Pau Hospital, located near the Sagrada Familia, as the organisation’s headquarters. The former St Pau Hospital pavilions will host in a few months several international organisations, such as an institute of the United Nations’ University and the European Forest Institute.

Summer of 2010 will be one of the best in terms of surface burned by fires. Forest fires only burned 351 hectares thanks to great efforts in prevention and extinction. Catalonia has a Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers. This year’s wet and snowy winter could have been fatal.

The March snowfall and a rainy spring have brought high-risk to forests throughout Catalonia. Both rural and metropolitan citizens are taking extra steps to prevent summer forest fires.