Apromabi disputes eucalyptus blame for Niebla wildfire

The Association of Wood and Biomass Exploitation Companies of Huelva (Apromabi) has disputed claims by the Junta de Andalucía that eucalyptus plantations were the primary cause of the devastating Niebla wildfire. The fire, which was extinguished on August 21, destroyed approximately 33,651 hectares.

Apromabi argues that eucalyptus accounted for only about 35% of the burned area. The association attributes the fire's intensity to a lack of public management, political neglect, and insufficient investment in silvicultural treatments over the last 20 years. They specifically highlight the accumulation of combustible vegetation due to a failure to remove pruning waste and poor maintenance of firebreaks.

Data cited by the association indicates that of the eucalyptus area affected, over 65% was located in public forests managed by the Junta de Andalucía or local municipalities. Apromabi further criticized the company Tragsa for lacking its own resources and noted that essential preventive forest management has been neglected despite ongoing funding for the sector.