A recent viral video in Spain showed an astonishing incident: a house that remained standing, even as the adjacent forest was engulfed in flames. The reason for its survival was not luck, but the implementation of prevention strategies that created a natural “green firebreak”. It is a valuable lesson: the most powerful defence against fire is preparation.
Fire gardening: Gardening as a fire protection mechanism
This concept, about how this property survived, has become known as fire gardening, a hybrid science between gardening and fire protection. It is not so much a question of clearing, but rather of selecting and maintaining vegetation intelligently so that it functions as a firebreak.
To learn how to implement this method, there are official documents that detail the process. The Provincial Council of Girona, for example, together with the Gardening Guild of Catalonia, has published a “Pyro-gardening Guide” that offers technical and practical advice to homeowners in urban-forest interface areas.
You can find more information in these official guides and initiatives:
- Pyric Gardening Guide of the Province of Girona
- Guide for Preventive Planning (Chapter 7) of the Ministry for Ecological Transition
Key strategies for creating your “green firewall”
- Clearing area: Remove branches, dry leaves and scrub from an area of at least 10 metres around buildings and plots.
- Fire-resistant trees: Select plant species that are less likely to catch fire. Olive, oak and almond trees are good choices. As in a case in Portugal, houses surrounded by olive trees withstood the advance of the fire. Here is an example.
- Pastoreo Controlado: Utilizar ganado (ovejas o cabras) para aprovechar su comportamiento natural y mantener el área limpia y despejada es un método antiguo que vuelve a estar de moda. En la Comunidad de Madrid, se promueve para generar “cortafuegos naturales“. Ver un ejemplo de la Comunidad de Madrid.
Technology at the service of prevention
With smart management and the right tools, you can transform your property into a more resilient and climate-change-proof place. Precision irrigation systems, for example, not only conserve water but can also be crucial for moistening key areas and reducing the flammability of plants during dangerous times.
