Initially approved on July 31st for Vall d’Uixó, these extraordinary measures now also include areas affected by subsequent fires in Tírig and Segorbe. With this expansion, the total maximum planned amount reaches 17,943,710 euros, representing an increase of 1,176,700 euros compared to the initial package. The municipalities eligible for this aid are Tírig, Catí, Albocàsser, Culla, La Salzadella, Segorbe, and Gàtova.
The Consell spokesperson, Miguel Barrachina, detailed in a press conference that the package of measures is based on four main pillars. The first pillar focuses on direct aid for affected individuals and sectors, increasing the allocation from 11.7 to 12.9 million euros to support families and economic activities impacted by the fires.
The second pillar is an extraordinary support line for affected town councils, with a budget of five million euros, intended to cover urgent expenses and repairs. The third block strengthens forest fire prevention and surveillance to reduce the risk of new fires and improve rapid detection, as well as enhancing response to future emergencies.
Finally, the fourth pillar promotes a recovery and reforestation plan for the burnt areas. The objective is to restore forest cover and landscape, prevent erosion issues, and recover economic activities linked to the territory, such as agriculture and rural tourism.
Barrachina announced that the Consell is studying similar recovery plans for all areas burnt this summer, citing the fires in Tírig, Segorbe, and El Saler as examples. He recalled that the fire in Vall d’Uixó was the first major fire declared, and for that area, the President of the Generalitat, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, has already presented a specific recovery plan alongside Vice President Vicente Martínez Mus.
Specific actions are being analyzed for the remaining fires, including the one in El Saler, an area of significant environmental value. The spokesperson indicated that this case will have its own dedicated program to be announced soon. The Consell aims to coordinate these plans with the affected municipalities and other administrations to accelerate the social, economic, and environmental recovery of the areas impacted by forest fires.
