"We know that 2025 could bring us even more difficult weather conditions." And the comparison is with 2024, which was a very complex year due to drought.
The decision of the regional council to approve the 2023-2025 regional plan for the prevention and active fight against forest fires well in advance is based on this awareness expressed by the regional councilor for the Environment, Rosanna Laconi. "Unlike in past years," comments the councilor, "this year we are publishing a fundamental provision for the fight against fire in a timely manner. A strategic intervention that focuses on timely actions for the protection of the territory and on the maximum involvement of all the operational components."
A crucial step, "made even more necessary by the effects of climate change, which risk making the next season even more complex than the previous ones".
If until a few years ago the forest fire prevention campaign (AIB) started on June 15, in 2024 the regional protection system had already brought forward the issuing of the danger bulletin by the decentralized functional center to May 1. An unprecedented decision, "made necessary to deal with a record number of fires already in the month of April".
It will be the same for the current year: the Sardinian forest and woodland heritage, as stated in a note from the Region, "is particularly vulnerable due to the increase in temperatures, the prolonged drought and the wounds still open from the desiccation phenomena".
Laconi emphasizes: "We thought it was essential to act with maximum promptness because the effects of climate change require new strategies. Our goal is to be ready before the emergency manifests itself, protecting the territory with all the means at our disposal."
The PRAI 2025
The Plan is divided into nine sections, including the general plan, the regional fire prevention regulations and the departmental planning.
In addition to advance planning, the regional system is also strengthened by a greater solidity of the air system. Unlike last year, when uncertainty about the outcome of the tenders had slowed down the system's operations, this year the air fleet is already entirely at the disposal of the Forestry Corps and the regional fire-fighting system. "Being able to count on air vehicles right from the start of the campaign," Councilor Laconi emphasizes, "allows us to respond promptly and more effectively, preventing fires from spreading and endangering our territory."
The plan provides for the maximum involvement of all operational components, including the Forestry and Environmental Protection Corps, the Fire Brigade, the Forestas Agency, the Civil Protection, volunteer organizations, barracellari companies and local administrations. Among the main measures, the active involvement of municipalities stands out, authorized to use personnel and resources of volunteer organizations for prevention activities. Cooperation between regions is also strengthened through twinning programs, with the aim of strengthening territorial presence in the most critical months. Finally, the plan provides for concrete support to volunteer organizations and the strengthening of the air fleet, with the immediate availability of resources to ensure more timely and effective interventions.
The Decentralized Functional Center plays a particularly important role in forecasting activities, in order to guarantee the daily issuance of the Fire Danger Forecast Bulletin, which unambiguously defines the alert level related to the achievement of a specific danger level in a given territorial area within the 25 “Alert Zones” into which the territory of Sardinia has been divided. The issuance of the Forecast Bulletin will be brought forward to May 1st. Furthermore, given the seasonal weather trend, the period in which the state of high forest fire danger is in force, ordinarily from June 1st to October 31st, may be modified, even for specific territorial areas and for further periods of the year.
Municipalities will also be able to use the personnel and resources of volunteer organizations based in their respective municipal areas to carry out prevention activities provided for in regional fire regulations. Volunteer organizations and municipal civil protection groups play a fundamental role. For this reason, they have been authorized both for control and surveillance activities, even in the absence of direct fire-fighting interventions, and for prevention activities relating to territorial control, on days when an operational phase of reinforced attention or pre-alarm is planned.
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)
