The fire season, which used to accompany the warmest months of the year, in summer, has been blurred in such a way that now our mountains can burn at any time. Without having just one origin, fires are becoming more frequent and threaten to destroy the green lungs that remain.
But it just so happens that the recent and worrying fires declared in recent weeks have had a common factor: agricultural burning. This autonomous community has a strong agricultural character and the pruning season leaves a lot of waste to destroy. However, other circumstances come into play. There has been almost no rain since the summer of 2023, temperatures are increasingly unusually high throughout the year, the forest masses in the mountains have long been growing uncontrollably (the abandonment of fields due to their low profitability is the main reason ) and are not maintained properly.
What does the Ministry's resolution say?
The last of the most notorious fires with all these characteristics in its favor, and which is now extinguished, has been the declared in Tàrbena last Sunday, April 14, and which has devastated about 670 hectares between the municipality, the Sierra del Ferrer and the Sierra de Carrascar in the Valley of Pop. It was this event that led the Department of Justice and Interior of the Generalitat, through the general director of Forest Fire Prevention, to modify "burning period" of cultivation margins or the elimination of agricultural or forestry waste through the use of fire" through a resolution published in the DOGV.
The news broke the day after the fire broke out and suspended burning until October 15. The reasons have already been mentioned above, but the Conselleria's explanation says verbatim: «Given the special risk conditions for forest fires that are affecting the Valencian Community, caused by a notable rainfall deficit, greater than 90% in some regions , which has continued since last summer, accompanied by unusually high temperatures and repeated episodes of strong onshore winds. Given that these meteorological conditions accumulated over such a long period of time have caused a situation of high water stress in the vegetation, which is very dry and has a low moisture content, which makes it more available to burn, facilitating ignitions and subsequent spread of fire.
The theory is clear. But practice, not so much. Since the announcement of the ban, numerous agricultural groups, such as the main agricultural unions, AVA-Asaja and the Unión Llauradora, have expressed the contradiction by the decision, since if the stubble is not eliminated, the fields can become another powder keg.. But the resolution, which was not clear from the first moment, points to the suspension of the "burning of crop margins or plant waste generated in the agricultural or forestry environment throughout the territorial scope of the Valencian Community which includes the forest lands, the adjacent ones and those located in the Forest Influence Zone».
Where yes and where not to burn
Therefore, In plots located more than 500 meters away from forest lands, burning activity may continue under the same conditions. that existed prior to the publication of the resolution, while in the fields that remain within those 500 meters it will not be allowed.
The graphic team LaMarinaAlta.com, as can be seen below, has made a reconstruction of the map of the Marina Alta from the GVA cartographic viewer that marks those areas within 500 meters of the forest lands where you can't burn. It should be noted again that it is a reconstruction, to have a general view of the region where activity is not permitted. If you want to consult an agricultural land with precision, it will be necessary to access the mentioned viewer and carry out the following access route to the layer that will show the prohibited areas: Environment > Fire Prevention > Forest Influence Zone (ZIF) 500 m. The map defining the zones will be visible from a scale of 1:50.000.
Exceptions
The initial resolution dictates that "the elimination of plant residues from stubble and rice straw on crop areas located in the area around the Albufera de Valencia and located in the Forest Influence Zone, which is "They will regulate in accordance with what is indicated in article 1.2, letter c), of annex VIII, of Decree 91/2023."
In a clarification after the publication of the resolution in the DOGV, the Ministry points out that within the areas where burning is not allowed, other areas are established. specific exceptions, always of an extraordinary nature. The situations and procedures to request these exceptions are:
- Plots in which there are agricultural residues that must be eliminated by phytosanitary reasons through the use of fire. To do this, the holders will send a request to the Plant Health Service of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, accompanied by a technical report prepared by a registered professional with competencies in plant health and that justifies the need for burning and the impossibility of using alternative methods. Once the report has been validated by Plant Health, if applicable, the General Director of Forest Fire Prevention will issue a resolution favorable to burning.
- Plots in which uprooted woody crops prior to publication of the resolution and are pending burning for replanting or transformation. In this case, the holders will send a request to the Plant Health Service of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. Once the need has been verified by the personnel of the aforementioned Department, the General Director of Forest Fire Prevention will issue a resolution favorable to the burning.
In both cases, applications may be submitted to any official registry, preferably in the Regional Agrarian Office to which the exploitation belongs, or through the generic telematic procedure (procedure).
The Ministry, after announcing the ban on agricultural burning, insisted on highlighting that these measures are exceptional in nature. Furthermore, they pointed out that If the circumstances that led to its publication changed, another resolution could be published to authorize the burning again.
Caution and responsibility
In order to burn, It will always be necessary to ensure the current state of alert regarding the risk of fires. of the Conselleria, as long as the field where it is carried out is outside 500 meters of the forest mass or the two aforementioned exceptions exist, with permission.
On the other hand, in the region, the first reactions to the whole matter have already been seen. At the moment, the City Council of Xàbia, through a mayoral decree, established last Friday to suspend burning authorizations, also until October 15, regardless of the location of the land.
In addition, it should be noted that each municipality will have its local burning or fire prevention plan to respect. Therefore, in case of any type of doubt, it will be necessary Contact the corresponding City Council to ensure that municipal and regional regulations are complied with..
Es sollte Generell verboten werden im freien ein Feuer zu machen. Ob jetzt 500 Meter von einem Wald entfernt oder in Feldern wo es bewohnte Häuser hat.