Fires have devastated 193,247 hectares of forest in Spain this year, more than in all of 2012 in just six and a half months, when a record 189,376 hectares burned, according to European organization EFFIS based on satellite imagery.
European Information System for Forest fires (EFFIS, abbreviated in English) The US transmits its Copernicus satellite estimates, and in just 24 hours, data corresponding to Spain They have increased by 11,000 ha as 182,497 ha were burned as of yesterday.
So far, the second worst year in the historical series (starting from 2006) published by EFFIS was 2017, when the flames devastated 130,920 hectares.
It must be taken into account that, in addition, large fires continue to spread in the center and west of the country, such as Carballeda de Valdeorras and Folgoso, in Galicia, Ateca (Aragon) or Cebreros (Castile and Leon).
Numbers are rising in Spain
According to EFFIS data collected by EFE, Spain It is the European country most affected by fires this year, with 0.38% of the country’s area; followed by Romania (149,264 ha), Portugal (46,593 ha), France (39,904 ha), Croatia (30,889 ha) and Italy (25,103 ha).
The figures provided by EFFIS far exceed those provided by the Spanish government, which, based on data from the Autonomous Communities, estimated the area burned at 70,000 hectares up to July 10, not counting the fires of the last few days.
Sources in the Ministry of Ecological Transition indicate that, in addition, the real figures Fire this could take years, and that for greater accuracy the data would have to be collected on the ground.
Warning
“The campaign looks very bad. In our current state, the data is likely to equal and even exceed 2012 data,” especially since no rain is expected in the short term, Capt. Roberto Garcia, natural risk analyst at the unit, told Efe. Emergency Military (UME).
In 2012, UME undertook a total of 60 wildfire-fighting activities, and this year there are about 30, said Garcia, who acknowledged that the forecasts they used at the start of the campaign “failed” because weather forecasts, which they have been overcome.
“We didn’t think it would be like this, but the two heatwaves that were recorded were terrible, we didn’t expect that there would be so much heat or that they would be so long,” Garcia said.
The autumn was dry and normal in temperature, while the winter was very warm and extremely dry, which has already been predicted as a “fatal year for forest fires.”
March was cold and very wet, which helped to cope with the fires that are usually recorded in the northwest due to agricultural fires, and in April, cold and rain caused the spread of light fuel (grass).
After high temperatures Due to the low rainfall in May and June, this grass is extremely dry, Garcia said, which, together with the current high temperatures, helps the fire spread quickly even if there is no wind.
“The grass and bushes are very dry, and the trees are so poorly watered that fires are of such intensity that they are very difficult to put out,” Garcia warned, emphasizing that while many fires are caused by human hand, this year’s lightning strikes are especially common during time of dry storms (not accompanied by water).
However, he stressed that although forecasts do not predict rain for at least the next fifteen days, the situation could improve at any moment if a front brings rain and cold.
(As reported by EFE)
Source: RPP
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.