The Regional Minister for the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification, Antonio Sanz, has visited the Forest Defence Centre (Cedefo) in Alcalá de los Gazules, in the province of Cádiz, where he pointed out that the Andalusian Government “will commit 150 million euros of investment in the coming years to improve the fire-fighting resources available at Infoca”. The boost provided by the Andalusian Government has enabled Infoca to become a benchmark fire-fighting service in Spain and Europe, with 4,700 personnel and, for the first time, 44 aerial resources.
Antonio Sanz has highlighted the efforts made by the Junta over the last five years to improve the material resources and facilities of Infoca. According to the councillor, “the investment already made in the modernisation of infrastructure exceeds 30 million euros for such important works as the Cedefos of Cazorla (Jaén) and El Pedroso (Seville), the La Resinera aerodrome (Granada) or the landing strip for aircraft in Villaviciosa (Córdoba), currently under tender”. In fact, in addition to these 30 million already invested, another 24 million are planned for this year 2024 and 2025, “so in six years we will have invested more than 55 million euros in Infoca infrastructure”, he stressed.
Sanz has indicated that the new Algodonales Cedefo, currently under construction, has a completion period of “20 months” and that the infrastructure is being built in a strategic location next to the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park and the Sierra de Líjar, to provide greater protection to this natural environment, as it will minimise response times in the event of a fire. Its area of influence covers more than 125,000 hectares corresponding to the regions of the Sierra de Cádiz-Guadalete and Sierra Sur de Sevilla.
Furthermore, a new contract was signed yesterday to improve the fixed surveillance network, a total of 20 towers in the provinces of Cadiz, Huelva and Seville with a budget of 1.6 million euros. The work will consist of the demolition of those that are in poor condition or whose height is not suitable due to the growth of trees, and the complete improvement of the most damaged infrastructures.
On the other hand, the project to install photovoltaic panels and charging points for electric vehicles in 29 Infoca centres is in competition, with eleven bids submitted. Specifically, they will be installed in 19 Cedefos, 8 sub-centres and two Brica bases. The tender amounts to 1.9 million euros of European Next Generation funds.
For the 2025 fire campaign, the team will have a fleet of new vehicles for staff transport, which will replace the current fleet of Land Rover Defenders. This will consist of 180 units of the current Land Rover Defender 130 and 102 Ford Transit Custom 4×4 vans. The budget is 20 million euros for the next four years.
In addition, 75 percent of the fleet of heavy fire-fighting vehicles has been renewed with the acquisition of 76 units, 12 of them equipped with snow ploughs, for a value of more than 25 million euros. The last eleven units are yet to be received and will be delivered in mid-2025.
As regards air resources, the Junta has put out to tender the lots for the contracting of eight ground-based cargo aircraft and four semi-heavy transport and fire-fighting helicopters for the next five years. This anticipation is due to the fact that the aeronautical market, in the fire-fighting branch, is very tense. The growing demand means that the needs are greater than the offers, which affects an increase in prices and that the tenders may remain deserted. Likewise, a new tender is being prepared for the next five years for the Fireboss model amphibious aircraft, incorporated this campaign and which are giving such good results.
Sanz said that “as Minister of the Interior I feel very proud to be able to count on a team of professionals who are giving their all for the safety of all Andalusians and those who visit us at this time of year.” The Minister stressed that the prompt action of the team has made it possible for eight out of ten fires to remain in their infancy, that is, with an affected surface area of less than one hectare.
Statistics
Since January 1, Infoca has carried out 438 interventions on forest lands. Of these, 359 were still in the process of catching fire (almost 82%) and the rest (81) were fires. As for the affected surface area, the total is 5,603 (355 hectares of wooded land and 5,247 of scrubland). These figures, compared to the average for the decade, are similar. Thus, the average number of fires is 560 and the number of hectares burned is set at 5,518.
Provincial media
In the province of Cadiz, 428 professionals provide services. As for the facilities, there is a Provincial Operations Centre, three Forest Defence Centres and 14 fixed surveillance points (towers). In addition, there are nine fire engines, two tanker vehicles, a pick-up truck, 33 transport vehicles and heavy machinery. In addition, there is a Mobile Meteorology and Transmission Unit and two transport and fire-fighting helicopters contracted by the Regional Government and one positioned by the State.
Number of Cedefos in Andalusia
Andalusia currently has 23 forest protection centres spread across the region in strategic locations. These Cedefos constitute a network of infrastructures that are crucial for the work of the personnel involved in preventing and fighting forest fires, as well as training for the purposes and activities that are common to the parties.
The councillor Antonio Sanz was accompanied on his visit to this Cedefo by the Secretary General of the Interior, David Gil; the delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Cádiz, Mercedes Colombo; the territorial delegate of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy, Óscar Curtido; and the director of the Provincial Operational Centre (COP) of Cádiz, José Antonio González.