Nurturing local resilience against wildfires with the “Aldeas Modelo” concept

Key Learnings

About the Region

Climate Threats

Extreme wildfires are a growing threat in Southern Europe and beyond, posing a significant risk to the environment, economy, and society. Traditional fire suppression policies are proving less effective, particularly since climate change extends fire seasons and worsens fire-prone weather conditions. Rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns dry out the vegetation, making it more susceptible to setting on fire and creating conditions favourable for fire spread.

In Galicia, the annual number of forest fires has declined sharply over the past few decades. Still, the fires that occur are increasingly intense and destructive, as was the case in October 2017 when many wildfires occurred simultaneously. One hundred twenty-five fires destroyed 49,000 hectares, equalling almost 69 football pitches, within less than 4 hours, overwhelming firefighters and endangering rural communities. Thirteen of these fires exceeded 1,000 hectares, severely impacting valuable forests and scrubland.

A network of safe model villages in high wildfire-risk areas

The municipalities empower their residents to protect themselves until emergency services arrive when a fire occurs. To this end, the local institution Xunta de Galicia organises various activities, including interviews to assess residents' knowledge of the environment and fire risks, as well as community talks to raise awareness about forest fires and emergency procedures. To further enhance the resilience of settlements to forest fires, the municipality shares safety recommendations and posts informational signs indicating safe locations to go in an emergency (Figure 2).

Additionally, the municipality informs its citizens by distributing leaflets with safety recommendations for protecting homes from forest fires. These leaflets provide essential information to help limit fire risks, such as removing dry vegetation, keeping flammable materials away from the house, and using fire-resistant materials for fencing. Following simple recommendations avoids significant damage to private homes and ensures personal and family safety.

The municipality has elaborated on the following tips:

• Prevention is the primary tool to fight a fire.
• Keep a fuel-free zone between your house and the mountain of at least 25 meters.
• Keep your home free of continuous and/or dry vegetation that would act as fuel.
• Prune your trees so the crowns are always high and well separated from the ground.
• If your garden furniture (tables, umbrellas, chairs, awnings, etc.) is made of flammable material, keep it away from vegetation.
• The fuel tanks must be away from the house and in a safe place without nearby vegetation, possibly buried or protected by a wall.
• Avoid treetops touching your house, and make sure they do not touch each other.
• Cut grass and dry bushes to a maximum height of 10 cm and avoid accumulating pruning residues or fuels.
• Limit lighters outdoors, such as smoking, barbecues, etc.
• Use fireplaces with spark arresters and roof and side walls, surrounded by land without vegetation. Make sure you have a nearby stream of water to extinguish possible sparks.
• In perimeter hedges, use smoke-resistant tree species. Avoid cypresses and conifers.
• In times of danger, remove the trees and dry bushes near your home and irrigate the surroundings.
• Guarantee access and manoeuvrability of two firefighting vehicles to your village and water points.

The local fire brigade also organises awareness campaigns about forest fires and equips the inhabitants with the necessary knowledge for emergencies.

The municipality also conducts drills that involve the fire brigade, police, and ambulance, allowing residents to practice what they have learned. Training involves virtual reality simulations that enable citizens to safely experience a forest fire scenario.  These measures help ensure the local population is prepared for a forest fire until emergency services arrive, helping to prevent panic.

Preventive landscape management, including forestry treatment, is another key action. Residents are encouraged to properly dispose of vegetation, especially dead branches and leaves that can easily fuel fires, in areas surrounding the village. Other practices include pruning trees, thinning dense vegetation, and conducting prescribed burns to manage vegetation effectively and reduce fire risks.

Local authorities also contribute to the efforts and adapt the local infrastructure by keeping the roads, forest tracks and firebreaks clear or by creating new roads, if necessary.   

As coordinators of the Living Lab, we are in constant contact with the village and its inhabitants.

Jorge García Fernández (XUNTA de Galicia)

The small-scale model village of Trelle undoubtedly facilitated the entire community's involvement. To date, Xunta de Galicia has organised four workshops in the village attended by local authorities and most residents.

International knowledge exchange and future expansion

In line with the upscaling objectives of the FIRE-RES project, the initiative led by XUNTA de Galicia has engaged with a similar project in Chile to share experiences and solutions to common challenges. Future steps will include partners from Portugal interested in replicating this practice locally.

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