The Calpe Town Council, through the Department of the Environment and Forest Surveillance, will launch a new strategy for the prevention of forest fires in the municipality in September. From now on, forest cleaning and management activities will be concentrated in the post-summer season in order to mitigate risks and protect the environment.
‘We have laid the foundations for effective and continuous work based on the premise that fires are extinguished in winter, which will be a crucial step for the safety of our mountains,’ said the Councillor for the Environment, Pere Moll.
In this regard, among the actions that the council plans to carry out is the implementation of the Local Forest Fire Prevention Plan, which will involve the creation of perimeter strips in the Oltà mountains. The project, which will involve an investment of €153,000, is part of the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD) within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) financed by the European Union - Next Generation. Work is expected to begin in September.
The Calpe Town Council has already drawn up and sent to the Valencian Regional Government the urban-forestry map of the municipality, which delimits a safety strip between urban areas and forest areas to prevent fires or, in the event of a fire, to prevent its spread, a requirement of a legislative decree of the Regional Government.
Likewise, a tender worth €59,900 is being prepared to contract the cleaning and forest management of the green areas of Empedrola I and II. Progress is also being made in the processing of a collaboration agreement for the restoration of the green area comprising La Empedrola and La Rosina, all with the aim of improving the environment and preventing fires.
Furthermore, in September, the Calpe government team will once again present the motion it approved last year to request the declaration of a Forest Health Emergency in the Valencian Community. This initiative is a response to the serious situation of massive pine tree dieback, which increases the risk of fires. ‘We want to make it clear that, although we are taking action, the magnitude of the problem requires a declaration of emergency so that the authorities can act more quickly,’ said the Councillor for the Environment.
In addition to this, the Department of the Environment recalls the actions taken in recent months to improve safety and emergency response, including the adaptation of a road in the Oltamar district, in the Oltà camping area, which will facilitate a possible evacuation, as well as improving access for firefighters on the road on the southern slope of Oltà, in the shooting range area.
The Department, in collaboration with Civil Protection, also carries out water control and replenishment work at the Oltà springs, in order to guarantee the water supply for the goats that live there. In this regard, it should be noted that these animals play an important role in fire prevention, contributing to the cleaning of the undergrowth and reducing the amount of vegetation susceptible to burning. ‘They act as “firefighting goats”, which are more effective than mechanical clearing. In this way, we contribute to the safety of the Oltà mountain in a sustainable manner,’ said the councillor.
Added to this is the ‘Clean Plots, Safe Forests’ campaign, which reminds landowners of their obligation to keep their land in optimal condition to avoid risks.
‘All these actions, together with those that will be carried out after the summer, are proof that the Town Council is implementing a comprehensive and proactive plan. With everyone's collaboration, we will make Calpe a safer municipality,’ said Pere Moll.