VALENCIAN GOVERNMENT PROHIBITS AGRICULTURAL BURNING UNTIL MID-OCTOBER
The lack of significant rainfall, the unusually high temperatures and strong land winds make the risk of wildfire extremely high.
In the wake of a series of wildfires that have destroyed large areas of natural habitat in the region, including Xàbia, the Generalitat Valenciana has decreed that agricultural burning is now prohibited until October 15th.
The Ministry of Justice and Interior issued a resolution in DOGV Num.9828 15.04.2024 Pags. 15426-15427 (exterior link) which gave official notice of the suspension of agricultural burning due to “the special conditions of risk of forest fires that are affecting the Comunidad Valenciana, caused by a notable rainfall deficit, greater than 90% in some regions, which has continued since last summer, accompanied by unusually high temperatures and repeated episodes of strong land winds“.
It added that “these meteorological conditions accumulated over such a long period of time have caused a situation of high water stress in the vegetation, which is very parched and with a low moisture content, which makes it more available to burn, facilitating ignitions and the subsequent spread of fire“.
And it warned that “since there are no forecast changes for the coming days, it is foreseeable that this situation will worsen” the decision has been taken to take appropriate measures to minimize the number of wildfires in the region.
The resolution prohibits the burning of agricultural land and waste generated through cultivation throughout the Comunidad Valenciana until October 15th 2024 or until a new resolution decrees otherwise.
To support the regional government’s resolution, the Ayuntamiento de Xàbia has issued an official communication to remind residents to continue taking extreme measures to prevent fires and consequently possible damage to both rural and urban land in the municipality as well as potential harm to other people.
The local council also called for the collaboration of landowners to carry out the necessary cleaning tasks of their plots to minimize the danger and proliferation of fires. It has warned that it will be intensifying inspection and control measures and that non-compliance will result in the town hall imposing the necessary penalties and actions.
The council added that any owner affected by last weekend’s valley fire can seek advice and information from the Policía Local de Xàbia through all official channels.
