The Minister for Territorial Policy and Government spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez, acknowledged at the press conference after the Council of Ministers that it is need to rethink the response to the fires. “This is a tragic summer which makes us have to rethink the response to the fires”, he admitted.
In this context, Rodríguez has highlighted that protocols need to be updated of action in the new Basic State Regulatory Framework for fire prevention and extinction personnel, a measure already announced by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, during the last debate on the state of the nation. Thus, the minister has affected the need to “harmonize the jurisdictional system to guarantee the effectiveness of all means”.
The Government estimates that 20,000 hectares have been burned by the fires that have taken place in recent days, during the second heat wave -although according to the count compiled by Europa Press the figure would be higher than 40,200 hectares in five autonomous communities and without counting the from Galicia. Rodríguez has also pointed out that 70,000 hectares have already been burned so far this year, double the average for the last decade.
“The urgency of these days is being the drama of seeing the countryside, the mountains, burn, a true environmental tragedy and the loss of life is an irreparable tragedy,” said Rodríguez, who has conveyed condolences to the relatives of the two deceased people. as a result of these fires, a brigade member and a rancher.
According to the Report on the Balance of the Situation of the current fires that has arrived this Tuesday at the Council of Ministers, 8,000 people have been evacuated in these latest fires. The National Monitoring Committee estimates 39 fires, of which 24 are still active.
In eleven of these fires, according to Rodríguez, there are state media collaborating, in five there is the Military Emergency Unit and in nine there are air media. “The European Civil Protection System has not been specified, although we are collaborating from Spain with Portugal,” he said.
Before the “very adverse” weather conditionsthe spokeswoman for the Executive has reiterated the Government’s commitment “in the fight against climate change and firefighting tasks” and has recalled that on June 21, in the Council of Ministers, they approved the campaign against fires to “strengthen” available means.
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He also lamented that the heat wave “is having consequences on health”, for which he has called on the population so that, in these times of high temperatures, they continue “with the precautionary protocols to avoid accidents”.
At this point, Rodríguez has expressed his sorrow for those who died due to the heat wave at work and has warned that the Government “will act forcefully through the labor inspection.” “We will continue to be attentive and vigilant in these situations. All administrations have to review working conditions in extreme temperatures”, he concluded.