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5 things we are all getting wrong about Spain wildfires, according to Greenpeace

Environmentalists in Spain highlight the biggest mistakes we make in trying to control forest fires

Wildfires in Spain are getting worse and worse with each passing year, with a number of factors such as increasingly common heatwaves and worsening periods of drought as a result of climate change serving to dry out the country’s vegetation and turn Spain’s forests into tinder boxes.

With temperatures on the rise globally the situation can only become more precarious, so it’s become a matter of urgency that we invest in our mountains and in rural improvements that will achieve more resilient landscapes. But it’s also important to dispel the myths that surround Spain’s wildfires, and Greenpeace has compiled a list of the five falsehoods that many people believe.

Myth #1: We have to clean our mountains

This expression has gained in popularity but is misleading. Mountain landscapes aren’t the same as parks or gardens and certainly aren’t “dirty’, but forests are complex ecosystems made up of many herbaceous species, thickets, bushes, dead standing trees, and fallen branches and trunks.

The greater this biological and structural diversity, the more biodiversity it hosts, the better its conservation status and the greater its resilience.

Unfortunately, many of Spain’s forest landscapes are the product of human intervention which makes the more susceptible to pests, and of course, fires.

So, when we talk about ‘cleaning’, what we really mean is thinning out flammable trees, scrub and grass in certain areas to reduce the amount of available fuel to feed a blaze, or constructing security strips to act as firebreaks.

Myth #2: We should use forest fires as a tool

Not all forest fires that break out in Spain are the result of arson (though most are). Some are actually started by lightning, a natural phenomenon that the flora of Spain has adapted to withstand and regrow after. In this way, fire is actually a shaper of our landscape.

In fact, rural communities have been burning brush and vegetation for millennia; however, with the country drying out, an alternative must now be sought and using fire to reduce biomass is largely prohibited and should only be carried out by trained experts.

Myth #3: There are no fires in winter

‘There are no fires in winter’ is a tongue-in-cheek expression used to highlight the fact that Spain isn’t doing enough to control the destruction of its landscape, and that firefighting measures should be employed all year round, rather than only in the summer as a reflex.

Myth #4: The only solution is to repopulate

Spain’s forest area increased by almost 4 million hectares between 1962 and 2019 but the resultant land is largely vulnerable, unmanaged and more flammable.

Spain now has the third-largest forest area in all of the EU, after Sweden and Finland, so the solution is not to plant trees and sow seeds en masse; instead, it’s necessary to focus our actions on the importance of forest management of existing spaces, a planning of actions, defined criteria for the selection of species, otherwise they will contribute more to the problem by adding fuel for the fire.

Myth #5: The first jobs to be done after a wildfire

The instinct here might be to replant the burned areas, but there are several far more urgent measures needed: firstly, the scorched wood has to be removed to avoid the spread of pests and diseases to the remaining plantation, and temporary streams, rivers and lagoons should be constructed to prevent sediment.

Once these matters are taken care of, it is time to examine the damaged area and make a plan for its controlled and sensible regeneration.

Image: Greenpeace

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