ISLAND GOES ON FOREST FIRE RED ALERT

Joan Collins THE Balearic Institute for Nature (IBANAT) will have between 300 and 400 people on watch to prevent forest fires during the Easter period, a measure which is part of a range of actions which the Balearic Government will be putting in place from May 1 with the start of the campaign for the prevention of fires, which will go on until October 31. During a press conference, the director general of Biodiversity, Joana Xamena, said that the start of the Easter holidays, especially with the good weather, increases the risk of forest fires because of the increase in outdoor activities, such as barbecues. Because of this, IBANAT will be putting in place a special force to “make every effort to prevent fires and to act promptly and efficiently at the first sign of smoke”. Xamena said that the collaboration of the national Ministry for the Environment in giving the islands the appropriate aerial resources to fight forest fires is “fundamental”. To this end, the Balearic Government has this week asked the national Government for a second Canadair plane, with a capacity for more than 5'000 litres of water, to be operative during the whole of the 2006 campaign (from May 1 to October 31). In addition, the Balearic Government has made a second request to the Ministry: that the Canadair plane based in Pollensa be operative from June 1. This is 15 days before the Ministry normally makes it available. Usually at this time of year the risk of forest fires in the islands is not high, but with the arrival of hot weather “the risk increases and we have to be ready”, said Xamena. During the Easter period IBANAT will deploy a number of forces, both on the ground and in the air, consisting of four helicopters, and a fire engine equipped for forest fires with the capacity for more than 3'000 litres of water. This is in addition to between 12 and 14 squads of people, more than 40 environmental officers and a dozen technical engineers specialising in forests. The head of IBANAT, Miguel Sintes, explained that once Easter week finishes these forces will be increased according to the level of fire risk, which will be basically determined by three factors: temperature; wind; and humidity. According to Sintes, humidity levels of less than 30 percent, gusts of wind of more than 30 kilometres per hour and temperatures over 30 degrees are the conditions for “a higher risk of fires”. With regard to this, he said that at the moment the Balearics have a humidity level of 60 percent, so the risk of forest fires is still low. However, he added that the meteorological conditions can change suddenly and “it is essential that the islands have the necessary aerial facilities”. He remarked that at the moment it is “completely forbidden” to light a fire without authorisation at any point in any forest in the Balearics, except in the areas specially prepared for recreational use.