Fires caused by the hunting lobbies: what is hiding behind the flames that are devastating Spain

The fire does not only burn trees, but reveals hidden interests. The wave of fires that has been devastating Spain since mid -August – with 344,000 hectares already in smoke since the beginning of the year, of which 120,000 only in August according to the European Copernicus system – is not only the result of extreme climatic conditions. In many cases the flames are set by man, and behind the disaster of Aliseda, in extremeura, a precise cause emerges: hunting.

The fire, broke out in Cáceres and already responsible for the destruction of over 4,000 hectares in the Sierra de San Pedro, was defined by the Minister of the Presidency of the Far ABEL Bautista as “caused by economic interests related to hunting”. “There have been two separated outbreaks, in the same property, due to hunting. You have to be absolutely ruthless to do it,” said Bautista, confirming that the Civil Guard identified the land and the trigger points.

The suspicion, already known to the authorities, would have acted for personal reasons and for contrasts related to hunting: last year he had been able to hunt in that area, this year instead not. As a demonstration of how private passions can translate into environmental tragedies.

What are hunting interests?

The term indicates advantages and objectives connected to the practice of hunting, which in many rural areas represents an important economic sector. In several cases, setting a fire means changing the habitat artificially to benefit from it: regenerating the pastures, concentrating wild species in more limited areas, freeing the soil from shrubs that reduce visibility during hunting trips. In theory it would be “controlled” bonfires, but the reality tells of flames that, almost always, escape hands.

These are not isolated episodes. According to the historical fire registers in Spain (1968-2017), the agricultural ones were the main malicious cause, with over 51,000 episodes. Immediately afterwards the fires for zootechnical practices come and, to follow, those set to facilitate hunting. A picture that shows how human action, direct or indirect, either at the basis of about 95% of forest fires.

Environmental and economic damage

Aliseda’s flames have imposed the evacuation of homes and threatened the natural monument of Los Barruecos and the city of Malpartida de Cáceres. The wind pushed the fire front to the N-523 motorway, putting entire communities at risk.

The economic interests, paradoxically, turned against the same hunting sector: Bautista stressed that the fire seriously damaged the hunting area, forcing to suspend the activity for at least two years, until the regeneration of the territory. A demonstration of how illegal practices can return against those who trigger them.

The response of the authorities and associations

The Civil Guard is collecting evidence to bring the manager in front of justice. Meanwhile, Ecologistas en Acción asks for the suspension of hunting in the affected land and exceptional measures to ensure the survival of the fauna, already proven by weeks of extreme heat and water deficiency. The organization also asks for the ban on hunting mid -season, when the fire risk remains very high.

Ume (Military Emergency Unit) and teams arrived from other regions also intervened on the field, including Catalonia. But the reality is that, despite institutional solidarity, the fires remain difficult to tame: 19 outbreaks were active simultaneously in extremura in the worst days of the emergency.

A threat that concerns everyone

The case of Aliseda brings to light a crucial node: the relationship between the management of the territory and private interests. If the fire becomes a tool for altering ecosystems in favor of economic activities, the risk is that the climatic crisis intertwines with an ethical and social crisis. The malicious fires not only destroy habitats and human lives but aggravate the greenhouse effect, increase the erosion of soils and undermine the safety of the communities.

For citizens, it means seeing the quality of the air compromised, the safety of homes and even local economies based on tourism and agriculture. In other words, what happens hundreds of kilometers away does not remain confined: the consequences of the arsoned fires have widespread and lasting repercussions.

Aliseda’s incendiary suspicion will be tried, but the question remains: how can you prevent bonfires motivated by hunting or agricultural interests? Statistics show that it is not enough to count on the sense of individual responsibility. More severe checks, exemplary penalties and a widespread culture of environmental protection are needed.

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