Balearics on forest fire alert

According to a press release from the Regional Ministry, from this Sunday onwards, fires cannot be lit on forest land or within a distance of 50 metres.

The minister has asked the public to exercise extreme caution and avoid recklessness in the face of a summer during which a significant increase in the number of visitors is expected, and as a result, negligence or accidents in forest environments may increase.

The fire-fighting operation, they added, which operates throughout the year, is fully activated during the summer fire campaign and involves a total of 350 people, including brigades, technical and forestry engineers, environmental agents, personnel from the Forest Fire Communications Centre (CCIF), and air crews.

The Ibanat manager pointed out that although the human and material resources are distributed by islands, the system is designed and has protocols in place to ensure that it is an inter-island system with the capacity to mobilise resources wherever they are needed.

Despite the lack of rainfall this year, the latest rains have meant that only part of the Levante area of Mallorca in the east is experiencing a drought at the beginning of the season.
Even so, Mir insisted that it is «vital not to lower our guard» and reminded the public that there is still time to take self-protection measures, especially in properties located in the rural and woodland areas.

This year there have already been 19 forest fires that have destroyed a total area of 5.1 hectares, 12 in Mallorca, five in Ibiza, and two in Minorca.
Most of them have been small fires (less than one hectare), the most serious being the one in Can Na Bassera, in Alcudia, on February ,23, which burnt 2.5 hectares.