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The high-risk period for forest fires in the south of Spain starts in June and lasts until 15 October, which means that, for the next four and a half months, the Plan Infoca unit for control of forest fires will be on high alert.
Thanks to the abundant spring rains, Malaga province has emerged from a long period of drought, which deceptively leads people into believing that forest fires are less likely.
According to Patricia Navarro - the Junta's delegate - "nothing could be further from the truth". Contrary to what one might think, these abundant rains have generated the growth of big amounts of brush and grass. "That fine forest fuel shortens the spread time significantly and could put us in very dangerous situations if action is not taken quickly and, above all, if prevention is neglected."
For this reason, the delegate issued "an appeal for caution, prudence and responsibility to all". She highlighted the important role that the public plays in the prevention of such fires, especially when citizens alert of smoke and outbreaks, which could stop "greater evils".
Even though the high-risk period has not started yet, there has already been one big fire and four outbreaks. There has been no serious damage "due to the speed and professionalism with which the Plan Infoca system is acting".
Last year, the specialist brigade carried out 86 forest actions, of which 69 were outbreaks and 17 were fires. An outbreak becomes a fire when it exceeds one hectare. Therefore, 80% of the fires were outbreaks. In total, there were 10% fewer incidents than in 2023. The hectares affected were also reduced by 20%. According to the delegate, this has been possible thanks to the availability of more resources and personnel, given that the system has "the largest budget in history": 257 million euros.
Although the system has a regional character (which allows it to mobilise resources between nearby points if necessary), there is a staff of 517 professionals in Malaga province, of which 438 are from the forest fire extinction service and 79 are environmental officers from the regional ministry. As for material resources, the fleet consists of 12 fire engines, two water tankers, 13 transport vehicles, 146 water intake points, and 19 observation points. Regarding aerial resources, which are essential for rapid response, the fleet amounts to 40 aircraft, 36 of which are provided by the regional government: 23 helicopters of different categories and 13 aircraft. The other four are managed by the State.
For the first time ever, the campaign has also activated a citizens' platform - a website to provide more transparency and information on the evolution of the fires. "Through it, people will be able to monitor forest fires and the risk index in our province, to help prevent any risky activities, although many activities are regulated and some are excluded throughout the season." On the other hand, communication and artificial intelligence protocols are going to be implemented with terrestrial and aerial drones to support the teams and operatives.
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