The forest fire information and prevention campaign by the Barcelona Provincial Council has concluded the summer with a balance that highlights the resilience of agricultural areas against fires. Of the 135 recorded fires, only 27 directly affected agricultural land, burning a total of 10.36 hectares of farmland. These figures underscore the importance of the proper preservation and management of agricultural spaces, not only for their productive and scenic value but also as key elements in preventing more extensive fires.

However, despite the positive balance, Jordi Fàbrega, Deputy Delegate for Fire Prevention and Forest Management, emphasised the importance of continuing to raise public awareness about prevention, stating that “most fires are caused by carelessness, negligence, or accidents.” This statement highlights the need to continue awareness-raising efforts, especially in urban-forest and agricultural interface areas.

The 2024 Forest Fire Information and Surveillance Plan

This year, the Forest Fire Information and Surveillance Plan was deployed on 19 June in 275 municipalities in the province of Barcelona and extended until 2 September. The operation involved 205 people, with a total of 49 mobile information and surveillance units, 22 civic agent units, 145 fixed surveillance points (14 watchtowers and 131 cameras), and three coordination and control teams.

In total, it covered 626,276 hectares of agroforestry land, demonstrating the Provincial Council’s commitment to protecting the mosaic of forests, pastures, and crops characteristic of the Barcelona region. The Anoia county was the most affected, with 14.5 hectares burned, followed by Alt Penedès with 6.1 hectares.

The campaign also detected a significant increase in fire-risk waste dumping, rising from 781 in 2023 to 1,732 this summer. Additionally, the number of waste collection actions for less than 30 litres also doubled: 1,011 this year compared to 462 the previous year. These increases could pose an additional risk to agricultural areas, especially during drought periods.

Barcelona Agraria reminds us of the importance of maintaining good practices in the management of agricultural and livestock farms, as well as the need for public cooperation in preventing fires in peri-urban and rural areas.

For more information on the fires and the campaign’s actions, please visit thet this Forest Fire Prevention and Agricultural Development website of the Barcelona Provincial Council or contact Jaume Minguell, Head of the Technical Office for Municipal Forest Fire Prevention and Agricultural Development of the Barcelona Provincial Council.