The Region of Murcia registered 117 incidents for forest fire for 2024 in which 66.6 hectares were affected
The rapid intervention of the Forest Fire defense Unit allowed 105 incidents to remain in Conatos and only 12 were fires.
Recently, the UDIF was mobilized for a month and a half to collaborate after the floods for the DANA suffered in Valencia, where the team formed by technicians, environmental agents and forest firefighters resolved more than 300 incidents.
04.05.2025 In the Region of Murcia there were a total of 117 incidents per forest fire during 2024 in which a total of 66.6 hectares were affected. The rapid intervention of the Forest Fire Defense Unit (UDIF) led to that only 12 were forest fires, since the other 105 stayed in Conatos. There are five fires less than throughout 2023, where there were 17 and 137 who stayed in Conato.
The forest brigades, coordinated with environmental agents and technical personnel, carry out different works based on the forest mass to be treated and the objectives set, such as clarifying and pruning to eliminate aerial continuity, the clearing of the shrub mass and the elimination of remains to reduce continuity on the surface, in addition to the interventions on the masses due to the effects that the drought is generating. These brigades acted in 2024 on almost 500 hectares.
“All these actions have a direct impact on the prevention and extinction of forest fires, as well as for the safety of personnel and the resources to fight these fires,” recalled the Minister of Environment, Universities, Research and Mar Menor, Juan María Vázquez, who, on the occasion of the International Day of the Forest Fire Combatter that is commemorated today, shared with the Forest Fire Defense Unit (UDIF) Valley.
So far from 2025 there have been a total of 22 interventions, 19 conatos and 3 fires, which have affected just over 28 hectares, taking into account the incident that occurred in the municipal terms of San Javier and Los Alcázares last Tuesday 29, which affected 21.77 hectares, being mostly in protected natural space.
UDIF turns 15 years old
The UDIF was designed to perform in the prevention and extinction of forest fires 15 years ago and since then has intervened in all forest fire incidents declared in the Region of Murcia. In addition, he has given collaboration to other communities participating in the extinction of numerous fires outside our territory through the external action columns (CAE), which are the technical and human media groups of the device that are made up to be displaced, and has also mobilized to help countries such as Canada and Chile.
However, the emergency response device for forest fire “has demonstrated its versatility and ability to adapt to emergency situations of another nature, attending to the needs of society and optimizing resources,” said the counselor.
Recently, the UDIF was mobilized for a month and a half to collaborate after the floods for the Dana suffered in Valencia, where the team formed by technicians, environmental agents and forest firefighters resolved more than 300 incidents, between Achiques, release of roads, buckets and other actions.
“All this, together with the constant and specialized training and training of the equipment and the impulse of inter -administrative collaboration and coordination, reinforces the response capacity of the system and places it as a reference in operational efficacy,” added Juan María Vázquez, who also pointed out that “the region maintains its commitment to the protection of the natural environment intensified prevention and surveillance work throughout the community and implementing numerous measures forestry ”.
A unit composed of almost 500 troops
The UDIF is formed by a team of almost 500 people, composed of forest firefighters of the Selvicultural Prevention Service and defense of the forest heritage of the Region of Murcia, which are organized in 19 forest brigades, 4 rapid intervention brigades, 3 helitransported brigades and 20 fixed surveillance points, known as eco mesh, distributed by strategic areas of the region, in addition to the region. The unit of analysis and planning and the machinery brigade, to which are added environmental and technical agents of the General Directorate of Natural Heritage and Climate Action.
In recent years, the figure of the forest firefighter is experiencing an important process of professionalization and recognition. His essential work in prevention, extinction and emergency support in the natural environment has established itself as a profession with its own identity, which requires specific training, continuous training and high physical and technical preparation.
The evolution of the device has gone hand in hand with a firm commitment to innovation and the use of advanced technologies, applied both to prevention and extinction. “Today, tools such as drones, thermal and night vision cameras, the most advanced geolocation and collection systems of data in real time and specialized machinery, allow to ensure surveillance and knowledge of the land and the state of the vegetation, study the behavior of the fire in greater depth, planning in a strategic and sectorized way the actions and greater operational efficiency,” concluded the environment.
