Spain sits on a forestry powder keg fueled by decades of rural abandonment. However, science has found a decisive figure to deactivate this threat: low intensity burning reduces by 92% the probability of suffering high severity fires, the most lethal and destructive. This technique acts as a thermal shield that not only shields the treated terrain, but also projects its protective effectiveness in a radius of five kilometers around.
The ten-year vaccine effect
The mechanism, validated by research published in the prestigious magazine Sciencegenerates a “vaccine effect” with a validity of up to a decade. The operation is clear: by eliminating the continuity of the flammable material in the forest, the fire loses the ability to jump between the treetops and descends to the ground. This change in behavior is vital, as it opens a window of opportunity technique so that extinguishing teams can effectively extinguish the flames before the front becomes unmanageable.
The benefit transcends the protection of natural heritage and reaches public health. According to Victor Resco of Godprofessor of Forestry Engineering at the University of Lleidathe smoke from these prescribed burns is significantly less toxic than that from large, out-of-control fires. Data analyzed by experts such as Victor Fernandez Garcia through the Science Media Center (SMC) They emphasize that active forest management would drastically reduce pollution by fine microparticles that today suffocates the air in our rural areas.
The uniqueness of the Spanish mountain
The application of this model in Spain requires, however, a surgical precision. Unlike landscape-scale interventions in California or Mexico, the reality of our mountains requires adapting the technique to native species such as the Pinus nigra or the Pinus pinaster. According to experts, the success of the maneuver depends on carrying out controlled burns that clean the undergrowth without damaging the ecosystem, a task that requires technical specialization top level.
The challenge for our country is huge and urgent. With a critical accumulation of biomass due to the lack of activity in the mountains, the use of controlled burning in the Peninsula is still punctual and localized. The ability to stop sixth-generation fires will depend on the ambition to scale this scientific evidence to a national geography that does not allow further delays. Prevention through fire is no longer a paradox, but the only guarantee of survival for our forests.