New rules to prevent and fight wildfires, plus aid for shellfish gatherers

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The autonomous communities must draw up annual wildfire prevention, surveillance and extinction plans covering their entire territory and applying year round, with required contents such as critical management points, assigned resources and limits on access and vehicle traffic.
2. When wildfire risk is very high or extreme, according to the State Meteorological Agency, automatic bans apply, such as lighting fires, using spark-producing machinery, using fireworks or driving on forest tracks. Breaking these bans is always a serious offense, or a very serious one if damage to the forest takes more than six months to repair.
3. Firefighting coordination is strengthened: common emergency management guidelines, a unified command when state resources join fires on the border between communities, and within six months a royal decree will approve uniform classification of firefighting units, a common air resources protocol, radio call signs, map symbols and minimum safety conditions for personnel.
4. The State keeps its air resources and helicopter-borne reinforcement units active all year, will build a wildfire risk zoning tool, and the State Meteorological Agency will publish continuously updated wildfire weather risk forecasts.
5. Autonomous communities may ask the State to help restore burned land if they meet requirements such as having updated plans and if the affected area exceeds certain thresholds (for example, more than 10,000 hectares, with lower figures in island territories). The State cannot cover more than 50% of the cost, except on land it owns.
6. A direct grant of up to €3,659,120.22 is awarded to the Fishermen's Guild of A Coruña to compensate shellfish gatherers for the halt of their activity in the O Burgo estuary from February 11, 2022 until dredging ends. The grant is incompatible with other aid for the same purpose, including the self-employment cessation benefit under the sea workers' social security scheme.

Who it affects

• The autonomous communities, which must adapt their prevention, surveillance and firefighting services before January 1, 2023 and approve annual plans published before October 31 of the year before they apply.: obligation
• People who visit or work in forests and rural areas, who must comply with bans on fires, machinery, fireworks and access when risk is very high or extreme.: obligation
• Fire prevention and firefighting personnel, who will have regulated minimum safety conditions and personal protective equipment.: benefit
• Shellfish gatherers of the Fishermen's Guild of A Coruña, who will receive compensation for the suspension of activity in the O Burgo estuary.: benefit
• Municipal councils, which must cooperate with surveillance and firefighting services and keep an updated map of settlements near forest land.: obligation

Words worth knowing

Real decreto-ley (royal decree-law)

A rule with the force of law that the Government can adopt immediately in situations of extraordinary and urgent need, later to be validated by Congress.

Comunidad autónoma (autonomous community)

Each of Spain's territorial administrations with its own government, such as Galicia or Andalusia.

Red Natura 2000 (Natura 2000 network)

A European network of protected natural areas valued for the conservation of habitats and species.

Cofradía de pescadores (fishermen's guild)

A public corporation that brings together fishers and shellfish gatherers in an area and manages their exploitation permits.

Dragado (dredging)

Work to remove sediment from the bottom of an estuary or port, in this case to clean and restore the O Burgo estuary.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries