Infra-red cameras to put an end to fires
Infra-red cameras to put an end to fires
20June 2008
published by www.euroweeklynews.com
THE number of fires in the province during the last year has prompted the Junta de Andalucia to put in place measures such as the use of infra-red cameras in many areas of woodland to guard against possible fires.
The plan was announced recently by an official from the environment department, Clemente Garcia, during a meeting in Alhama of the Comite Asesor del Plan de Prevencion y Extincion de Incendios Forestales-INFOCA 2008 (committee responsible for prevention of forest fires).
The meeting was attended by the local police, Guardia Civil, members from various fire departments and companies like Egmasa.
The Plan INFOCA 2008 runs all year round and according to Garcia, it has introduced 700 sheep to Chirivel and Velez Blanco to graze on a plot of 40 acres to avoid the vegetation assisting the spread of the fires.
Measures such as this, together with the introduction of the infra-red cameras, will assist the control centre in Almeria in their efforts to prevent and fight forest-fire outbreaks.
According to the director of the Centro Operativo Provincial de Incendios Forestales, (emergency fire centre) Rafael Yebra, Almeria has 35 areas of high-risk.
The Junta de Andalucia is to allocate 183 million euros for the management of forest fires around the region, which will include 4,800 professionals and a total of 40 aircraft. The representatives have advised the population to call the 112 emergency number in the event of a fire breaking out.
