• Extinction work The cessation of the wind and the fall in temperatures "open a window" to control the fire in Castellón<
  • Investigation The "human factor", probable cause of the fire that has already burned 4,000 hectares and has evicted 1,500 people in the Alto Mijares of Castellón

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, visited this Monday in Barracas (Castellón) the Advanced Command Post of the forest fire that is still active and hits the interior of the provinces of Castellón and Teruel since last Thursday and that has turned into ashes already about 4,000 hectares of forest mass of great ecological value.

Sánchez, accompanied by the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig, said that "we have just come out of winter and even in the middle of March, we already have summer temperatures and fires. The climate emergency is urgent and we cannot be neutral in the face of denialism."

Thus, he has guaranteed "all the commitment of the Government when the flames are extinguished to address the task of recovery."

"The most important thing is that we must not regret loss of human life. Still with the live fire we have to ask for caution, "said Sánchez, who also highlighted the solidarity for the reception of the nearly 1,700 evacuated by the fire since last Thursday, both from towns of Castellón and Teruel.

On the other hand, he has offered "all the solidarity and recognition" to the 14 firefighters who have been slightly injured in the extinction work, and who are already recovered and has praised not only the work of the firefighters, but of the institutions and the Red Cross, to ensure, in addition, that there has been a great work of coordination. "We must highlight not only their professionalism, but their commitment and commitment to contain this fire."

This single command constituted now is the result of an agreement that materialized, as it says in the Conference of Presidents last year and is "an effective example of a unitary response between different Autonomous Communities".

For his part, Ximo Puig, has reported that from six in the afternoon the de-escalation of the evacuated people will begin, so that they can return to their populations. "There are two foci left but hopefully from six we can give this good news."

And it is that the Minister of Justice, Gabriela Bravo, had assured mid-morning of this Monday that after a night that has been "good" in the area of the forest fire that affects the interior of Castellón, this Monday "we have the worst day from the meteorological point of view" and the "most complicated and dangerous for extinction professionals".

Bravo has indicated to the media, after concluding the meeting of the Advanced Command Post, that during the night it has been possible to work cooling the area and maintaining the perimeter of the fire – about 40 kilometers – especially with the terrestrial means, although from the first hour the aerial ones have been incorporated.

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, on his arrival at the Advanced Command Post, in the forest fire of Castellón.EUGENIO TORRES

Risk in the Mediterranean has doubled in 40 years

The extreme risk of forest fires has doubled in the Mediterranean basin in the last 40 years and that implies that the probability of their severe impact is double, according to the director of the Meteorology group of the Center for Environmental Studies of the Mediterranean (CEAM), Samira Khodayar.

In statements to EFE following the still uncontrolled fire in the interior of Castellón, which has already devastated 3,800 hectares and faces a key day due to adverse weather conditions for its extinction, the researcher says that these new conditions facing the natural environment require a different management of the forest soil.

Experts urge improved forest management

"In recent decades human effort had managed to reduce the number of fires, and in fact we have had a long period of time without too many in the Valencian Community. That is because of the work of prevention, but at the same time the abandonment of the rural environment has also increased and the uses of the forest have changed, and now a good part of them are powder kegs. If we don't (improve forest management) the consequences will be devastating," he adds.

According to this specialist, climate change generates warmer and wetter conditions, and "that increases the risk, that is, the probability that this type of megafires, known as sixth generation -the asset of Castellón has been cataloged in that way-, occur in greater numbers. "

"Fires have a complex dynamic, they are associated with many factors, and the first of them is the initiation of the fire itself, either naturally, by lightning, or by the action of man, intentional or not," he explains.

"Once that occurs, it is the conditions of the soil, wind, humidity or temperature that favor the flames to spread or not, and those that condition, according to the expert, the speed at which they do so."

Due to the climate crisis, he adds, "the conditions are drier and warmer, it is hotter and as there is less rainfall everything is drier." "In fact, this March the temperature is more than two degrees above average, and we are also going through a dry period," he adds.

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  • Castellón (Spain)
  • Fire
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • Environment