Castilla y León allocates €420,000 for forest fire prevention in Bierzo

The Government of Castilla y León has authorized an investment of approximately €420,000 to strengthen forest fire prevention and extinction efforts in the Villafranca del Bierzo region. The project, managed through the public company Tragsa, will deploy a specialized crew consisting of one squad leader and six specialist laborers.

The crew will operate across the public utility forests of seven municipalities: Villafranca del Bierzo, Barjas, Corullón, Oencia, Trabadelo, Sobrado, and Vega de Valcarce. In addition to responding to active fires, the team will perform preventative maintenance such as clearing, pruning conifers and shrubs, and cleaning forest paths.

Key activities include mechanized clearing to reduce vegetation continuity and fuel loads in auxiliary strips and firebreak areas. The plan also involves improving forest tracks, which may include rock breaking to ensure better accessibility within the mountainous terrain.