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Who wins when forests burn? Galega

One in three fires are caused and according to the Xunta de Galicia, 20% of them are for economic reasons.

A more summer, Spain is back slope of the hill or, more accurately, the flames devour it. Especially in Galicia, where more than 2,000 hectares have been burnt by fire "in most cases have been brought," explains Alfonso Rueda Minister of the Presidency of the Xunta de Galicia.

And what are the intentions that lead someone to burn the hills of Galicia?

According to a report by the prosecution in this region, one of every five fires "are caused by economic interests."

But this circumstance is not unique to Galicia, where yesterday continued the work of extinction of three outbreaks, but part of a common feature throughout the English territory, which incidentally is the European country with the largest number of fires for half a year, but this year Russia and Portugal compete in the fight against the flames.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, more than a third of the fire is caused. In 2009, 35,685 hectares of forest burned as a result of direct action, and in some cases, human-interest.

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Where does that interest?

Some sources in the affected areas point to the benefits generated by the sale of wood burned to the municipalities. This is ground to use it to industry clusters and pulp.

In Extremadura, where last year burned 3,265 acres in the region of Las Hurdes, 85% of the money for the use of that wood smoke is scheduled to go into the coffers of the municipalities affected.

How much money are we talking about? In Castilla-La Mancha, Cuenca City Council approved last year by the Timber Mill Basin extraction of 200,000 cubic meters of wood from forests affected by fires and Poyatos Claw in 2009 at a price of 6 and 8 euros per cubic meter.

interesting "thus burning bush to get cheap raw materials? Since the timber industry rejects this hypothesis, arguing that the use of the burned area is limited.

Even a Civil Guard report to clarify the causes of the fires that razed over 77,000 hectares in Galicia in 2006, where there is a significant timber industry, also threw out this hypothesis: "There is no evidence pointing to this theory, as though the timber industry goes through economic difficulties, it is clear that speculation by burning wood only worsens their situation, damaging the competitiveness of the industry. "

'Cleaning' the mountain

More interests: from those fires intentioned as noted Raul Navarrete, Head of Fire Ecologists in Action, generate the vast majority of farmers who want to clear the mountain.

Forty out of a hundred fires in Spain in 2008 were due to the burning of rubbish, while another 28% generated the farmers who were burning bushes to the regeneration of pasture, Navarrete said citing data from the Environment.

This environmentalist explains: "The incendiary believe that the mountain is dirty and needs to fire. So we need a raise awareness with them." These people set fire to the area that interests them clean, but the extent of the fire gets out of hand.

"It's a long-standing practice that allows them to remove clumps of very cheap, as this does not have to invest in fuel for brush cutter. Just need a match and some gasoline," says Navarrete, He adds: "Perhaps we should give aid to not resort to this system."

Other causes

set fire to the forest for more pasture is not the only reason for the economic interests behind some fires.

Galicia in 2006 ended the summer with more than 77,000 hectares of forest burned. The report on the investigation of such fires, prepared by the Civil Guard, found that 84.7% were provoked and that this figure, 38% were inappropriate traditional practices, such as burning of agricultural waste caused to regenerate grass.

This research also indicated that 48.7% of cases with unknown causes and practical, possible, it aims to fires caused by hunters to move hunting areas for arson and wages for termination or restoration of the area, leading to seasonal employment in the affected municipalities.

also points to the change in land use and the intention to encourage the production of forest products.

Contrary to what one might think, arsonists cause only a small part of the fire (just over 3% in 2008). At other times, people involved in the firefighting cause the fire to make a summer job, though, says Raul Navarrete from Ecologists in Action, are cases in point.

Nor is a high percentage of cases of burning forests to exploit the land for property development, but also have occurred.

By: I. M. Labrador and Domínguez

Source: The Economist