More than half of forest fires are arson, says WWF

Battling the flames

SPAIN In a recent report the Spanish branch of WWF says that 55% of the forest fires from 2001 to 2010 were intentional, but only 1.5% of the arsonists were identified. That 1.5% increases to 9% if the human factor is taken into account, with intentionality or otherwise. The environmental organization wants the Criminal Code applied to its full extent, in the belief that this would have a dissuasive effect, according to the head of WWF Spain, Juan Carlos del Olmo. The report, sponsored by the AXA Foundation and titled Forests: vulnerable to large fires, says that part of the problem is bad forestry management and lack of prevention, not the forests themselves. Del Olmo pointed out that 87% of the forest area in the country have no management planning at all.>>>

Unemployed to help with clean-up after fires

MADRID (Agencies) The unemployed in Spain will be drafted to clean up the remains of brush and forest fires that have destroyed some 180,000 hectares of land throughout the country. If they refuse, they are likely to lose at least three months of their unemployment benefits. The emergency measure was approved by the Cabinet and announced by Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, who also said that it applied only to those on the Plan Prepara programme, a government subsidy for the long term jobless whose benefits have run out.

Sentences for fire setting to be increased

MADRID The Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, announced on Tuesday that the Council of Ministers will approve this month, to come into effect in September, an change in the Criminal Code to increase sentences on those found guilty of setting forest and brush fires, and to require financial responsibility for the damage caused. The announcement was made in Santiago de Compostela, where the minister was meeting the President of the Galician region, Alberto Núñez Feijoo. Galicia is very prone to fire setting in the summer. Maximum prison sentences will thus be increased to six years, one more than at present. Three new aggravating factors will also apply: that the fire is set close to an inhabited area, that it impacts a special environmental protection area, and, "particularly important" in the minister's words, that the fire is set at a time of particular weather or terrain conditions that "relevantly" increase the possibility of the fire propagating extensively.

Fire at Torreguadiaro

SAN ROQUE / Torreguadiaro A brush fire broke out at about 1.30 this afternoon close to several urbanizations in that area. INFOCA sent in four helicopters, one plane, one coordinating plane, as well as two full 22-personnel units plus another 54 volunteers and four pump trucks. No evacuation procedures had been put in place at 5pm this afternoon. The road was cut off -we have no news that it has been opened, but it might be by now- at the roundabout on the A-7 (See map) and sent up to the AP-7 toll road.  More news as it comes in.

Who are these guardians of the mountain?

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR There have already been several brush fires in the hills and mountains around us. They have all been put under control and extinguished. We have seen the pictures and may have even witnessed the horror of a fire close by. Summer, especially from now on, at its driest, is the highest risk time for fires, most of which begin in the mountain forests, largely in the Los Alcornocales Nature Park. But what kind of people, and preparations, are trying right now -and during the whole year- to make sure that 2011 is even better than 2010 in terms of the number of fires. Last year was the very best of the last 30 years. In the province of Cadiz, the Plan de Prevención y Extinción de Incendios de Andalucía (known as INFOCA) has over 100 people out there in the hills watching every corner for signs of flames or smoke.>>>

What kind of environmental vigilance is this?

We picked this up from TioJimeno, who got it from one of their readers, Andrés Rebolledo Barreno, who took it on a walk along the Hozgarganta River. Outside barbecues are very strictly forbidden at this time of year for the enormous danger of brush fires. Andrés, a keen environmentalist, goes on to say that he found out that the BBQ had been left by a family that had spent three days over the weekend at that spot by one of the several abandoned mills along the river (this one's called Molino del Profesor), cooking by day and by night. He asks for more forestry vigilance in that area, as well as more police and Guardia presence because "the countryside as we know it could disappear at any moment. We cannot allow ourselves these luxuries, specially with the summer we're having, the wind, etc." He's right: if you see it, anywhere, report it right away.

50% of area fires are intentional

Sierra Carbonera, July 8, 2011

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (Agencies) The Junta's Department of the Environment has come up with some amazing, albeit sad, figures about forest and brush fires. It has concluded that 62% of the fires in the province of Cadiz, since the beginning of the year, are the result of arson. That is, the 42 fires so far were caused by man. So, 31% are started intentionally, and the reamining 31% are because of neglect (which in Spanish law is considered arson). At a recent meeting between the Junta's Environment head, Silvia López, and the special Environment prosecutor, Patricia Navarro, the figures revealed the extent of damage caused by fires over the last five years, particularly in the municipalities of Tarifa, Algeciras and San Roque, not only in terms of the number of them but also in the amount of hectares burned.>>>

Ibiza fire stabilized after four days

IBIZA (Agencies) The brush fire that broke out last Wednesday at the Serra de Morna, in the municipality of Sant Joan de Labritja, was declared 'stabilized' yesterday, though it would take 'a few hours or days' to be completely under control, ac cording to Pilar Costa, acting Councillor for the Interior of the Balearics. The 50 year old man accused of starting the fire is still in prison without bail, facing between 7.5 to 10 years in prison. An amateur bee keeper, he was allegedly smoking out one of his hives when a piece of coal fell onto the ground, thus starting a fire that rapidly consumed close to 1000 hectares of forest and needed Army units as well as 5 helicopters, 1 Canadair hydroplane , 2 air tractors y 1 coordination airplane, plus fire untits from other parts of the islands, as well as Valencia and Barcelona.