Why Spain needs to invest heavily in preventing fires, not just in fighting them

By María-Luisa Chas-Amil, Catedrática de Economía Aplicada, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Emilio Nogueira-Moure, Profesor interino, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Forest fires have raged across Spain throughout July 2026, leading many people to ask whether the country has enough firefighting resources.

The answer is complex, particularly in emergency situations where homes and lives are at stake. However, the broad scientific consensus is that the key lies not in increasing the resources allocated to firefighting, but in investing more in prevention and land management.

~	Should you wash your prewashed lettuce? An infectious disease expert explains how to eat your greens safely during the cyclospora outbreak

~	Mali: Evidence of war crimes by armed groups in Gao region

~	What really happens to your data when you click ‘delete’?

~	The EU has fined Google a billion dollars for ignoring competition rules – but will it have any effect?

~	Gironde wildfires: what the logistical challenges behind the mass evacuations tell us

~	Running from Russia, running from hate: A trans girl’s flight to survival

~	Leaning into Uncle Vanya’s bleakness: a sumptuous play, with a deeply modern feel

~	After a record-breaking night at the Commonwealth Games, Australia is primed to produce more world-class athletes

~	‘The fire has such power’: why the wildfires gripping France and Spain are off the charts

~	A lifelike robot called ‘Sally’ was going to teach in a US school. It’s not a weird as it sounds

Why Spain needs to invest heavily in preventing fires, not just in fighting them

Firefighting…Read complete article© The Conversation - Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Firefighting…

Read complete article
© The Conversation - Wednesday, July 29, 2026