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Date Published: 22/04/2024

Region of Murcia put on high alert for forest fires

Specialised teams will guard the Region against potential wildfires until autumn

It’s been an extremely dry start to the year in the Region of Murcia and although there is some rain forecast this week, it simply won’t be enough to quench the dry soil. As a result, the Ministry for the Environment has activated an alert for forest fires, triggering a surveillance network that includes posting watches at high points throughout the Region to ensure perfect visibility.

According to this specialised unit of the regional government, which is known as Malla ECO, 20 surveillance points have been set up which will be manned by three people on rotating daily shifts from now until October 16. The high vantage of these posts should ensure that any wildfires are spotted early and can be extinguished before too much damage is done.

Surveillance from the ECO team is also very effective for detecting false alarms, which cuts down on wasting resources that could instead be deployed to genuine emergencies.

The forest guards are in permanent contact with the environmental agents of the Region of Murcia and, when they detect and locate a fire, they transmit the information to the Operational Coordination Centre of the Region of Murcia (CECOP).

Given the current weather forecast, at the moment special attention is being paid to fires caused by lightning strikes, since these can spontaneously combust and result in small blazes spreading.

Find all the latest weather and climate change news here or join our Murcia Weather Watch Facebook group for regular updates

Image: CARM

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