Catalonia's wildfire strategy - Insights from a world-class brigade

Catalonia frequently faces forest fires, which threaten ecosystems, wildlife and communities. This situation has been aggravated in recent years by climate change, drought and human activity, and throughout the summer months fire risk is at its peak. On this week’s podcast we discover how firefighters and forest rangers use drones, AI and new technologies to prevent and control summer forest blazes. We meet David Borrell, head of the Bombers de la Generalitat, who explains how the fire brigade uses advanced tools for real-time monitoring and predictive analysis. Chief inspector Antoni Mur from the Agents Rurals explains the role of Catalonia’s forest rangers in maintaining natural areas in order to reduce fire risks. Plus reporter Oriol Escudé joins host Beth Cohen to look back over the history of wildfires in Catalonia and discuss what this summer may bring. This week, our Catalan phrase is “Qui juga amb foc, es crema” - “He who plays with fire, gets burned”. It’s a proverb that warns against taking risks or behaving recklessly.