Valencian regional government boosts summer forest‑fire prevention with 1,700 personnel

The Generalitat Valenciana has activated an extraordinary fire‑prevention and suppression operation for the summer, deploying 1,693 staff across the three provinces – 724 in Valencia, 470 in Castellón and 434 in Alicante, plus 65 operating region‑wide. The force includes 56 ground fire‑fighter units, 45 water‑tankers, six helitransport aircraft and a network of 42 forest‑watch observatories, ten of which operate 24‑hour surveillance.

The programme also funds the repair of forest‑access infrastructure damaged by the October 2024 floods, with more than €75 million spent to restore 4,034 km of forest tracks and reopen 383 km of previously impassable routes. An additional €2.2 million from the EU Next Generation fund will modernise ten strategic observatories, enhancing communications, energy self‑sufficiency and meteorological monitoring. The regional campaign “Jo dic Stop al Foc” urges citizens to prevent the majority of fires – 67.9% of which are human‑caused – by following basic safety rules in natural areas.