Human dimension of fire: ten years of Minas de Riotinto fire

Abstract

In 2004 one of the most devastating forest fire started since we have official records and statistics of fire occurrence in Spain. On a fire prone context on July 27, 2004, in Minas de Ríotinto (Huelva, Spain) the largest forest fire of the last century and the third largest in the statistical history of Spain initiated. It was extinguished more than three weeks later. The combination of exceptional meteorological, topographic and vegetation conditions resulted a four hours free fire behaviour that burned 4.000 hectares in a 27.000 hectares final perimeter. The economy of the affected settlements and towns was severely damaged not only by the loss of the production of cork, but by the loss of much of its agricultural and livestock production as well as other silvicultural activities, logging and hunting. It was one of the first fires with problems in wildland urban interfaces at large scale because of more than 1000 people evacuated from their homes. Inside this fire prone area, one of the most affected places was the small town of Berrocal which saw how more than 90% of the territory in the municipality was seriously affected by fire. Also, one of the most active firefighting crews working in the fire belonged to this town.