Team in place to fight summer fires
A rapid response to any countryside fire ‘is essential’
A TOTAL of 750 people will form the Valencia government’s team to fight forest fires in the region this year during the period of greatest risk.
Councillor for the ecological transition, Mirella Mollà met some of the members when she presented the campaign for 2022. Her department is stumping up €14.5 million to fund this essential emergency work.
Sra Mollà showed off the tools that they will use to tackle blazes which affect the countryside in all three of the provinces – Alicante, Valencia and Castellón.
She noted that a rapid response is essential to any fire which breaks out in a rural area to contain the threat it presents and stop it spreading.
The regional government has many ways to do this – with the ‘spotting’ system from aircraft and watchtowers one of
the most important of them.
For this reason, it is vital to keep the towers maintained and have the staff to man them, explained the councillor.
Each province has an expert
on standby who takes immediate decisions when fires break out or are reported by the public via the 112 hotline.
Sra Mollà added that the team also includes environmental experts, forestry officers and the ‘watchers’.
They carry out other tasks to prevent fires – the department sends out forest maintenance teams who ‘cleanse’ wooden areas by removing dead trees and pruning.
She noted that the regional government employs around 230 environmental officers, who are ‘a force with a large amount of professional experience which has always carried out forest fire prevention work’.
Volunteers also help out in many areas and increase the vigilance team working during the summer months to around 500 people. Sra Mollà said that they also help out by giving advice to the public who visit the countryside, explaining how they can minimise the risk of causing fires.
She highlighted the ‘work and dedication’ of all those involved in the fight against forest fires and noted that they make up a ‘united and coordinated body’ which greatly increases the effectiveness of their response.