The European Forest Fire Information System states that more than 400,000 hectares burned this year in the country; This number exceeds the previous record of 306 thousand hectares in 2022
The Spanish Public Prosecution Service determined the opening of an investigation to investigate whether the municipalities affected by devastating fires this summer adopted prevention plans, a document consulted on Thursday (21) by AFP. It bets on a decentralized system in which regional governments lead the responses to catastrophes, but the central government may intervene if there is a serious emergency.
At the local level, in Castilla y León, Galicia or Extremadura, who have suffered the worst fires since early August, inhabitants criticize the lack of prevention and poor organization of emergency services.
Regional governments have an obligation to establish prevention plans, although the newspaper El País revealed that the Central Executive of Madrid has not yet issued the decree that defines the common criteria to elaborate these strategies.
In a letter, first published by El País, the promoter responsible for the Environment and Urbanism Unit, Antonio Vercher, points out that it is “evident” that the situation is “to the absence or, as appropriate, to the inadequate application of fire prevention plans”. Prosecutors may require the “criminal liability” of those “who, having an obligation to elaborate them”, did not, he added.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, more than 400,000 hectares burned this year in Spain. This number exceeds the previous record of 306,000 hectares in 2022, considered the worst season since the start of the records in 2006.
*With information from AFP
Posted by Nátaly Tenório
