08 Aug
2006 Rome, Italy A wave of forest fires across
north-western Spain, largely a result of arson,
has been responsible for several deaths and huge
economic losses equalling 500 million, according
to WWF.
Despite efforts by local authorities,
there have already been some 10,500 fires in Galicia
this year, destroying more than 42,000ha of forest.
About 84 per cent of the fires were intentional.
WWF-Spain raised the alarm at
the beginning of the summer, predicting a high
risk season of forest fires throughout Spain,
and is calling on the authorities to crack down
on forest fire offenders.
The tremendous scale of forest
fires in Galicia can be explained by a lack of
planning by local authorities, as well as the
fact that the criminals who have started many
of the fires are convinced that they possess a
state of impunity, says Félix Romero,
head of WWF-Spain's forest programme.
In such times as these, public
cooperation is crucial, as is political commitment,
to identify the perpetrators of these crimes and
punish them appropriately. We must put a stop
to the sense of impunity with regard to this type
of crime.
A WWF report indicated that
only 1 per cent of offenders are prosecuted for
criminal offenses in Spain. The report also identified
deficiencies in present policies and practices
within the country's environmental councils and
forest agencies, noting that there are currently
few plans of defense against major fires. The
report recommends that any plans must specifically
consider camp fires as an element of fire risk
(not only the meteorological conditions and the
state of the ground), and should include measures
for the preparation of recreational zones, training,
and information campaigns, as well as fire prohibition,
particulary during the summer.
Despite Galicia boasting one
of the most efficient systems to combat forest
fires in Spain (73 per cent of fires are extinguished
before the area spreads to more than a hectare,
while the national average is 64 per cent), local
authorities have not been able in recent years
to reduce the number of fires, nor the amount
of surface area affected.
In the past 15 years, 5.6 per
cent of Galicia's territory (or 1,114,000ha) has
been affected by 150,000 forest fires. About 98
per cent of these fires were man-made, with 84
per cent of that caused by arson.
Every year, the Mediterranean
is struck by more than 50,000 fires, which burn
up to 800,000 hectares of forests.
Chantal Ménard
