New emergency firebreaks, 25 meters wide on each side of the roads, are being created across more than 500 hectares. These vegetation-free strips are designed to prevent the fall of apparently healthy trees and will serve as containment lines for future fires. The Community of Madrid has temporarily prohibited the circulation of people and motor vehicles in these areas during the emergency work.
This operation, expected to last two months, until approximately November, will be followed by efforts to promote natural regeneration and prevent soil erosion. Technicians from the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Interior are individually examining stone pine, resin pine, and holm oak trees. This assessment is crucial, as green canopies do not guarantee tree health or stability; internal damage from ignition may have rendered them irreparable.
Experts are also analyzing the sanitary condition of the arboreal mass to protect it from harmful fungi, conducting core samples in tree trunks and examining the surroundings, including roots, canopies, and trunk bases. Holm oaks, which have the capacity to resprout from their root reserves, are being inspected under the bark to check their internal health, in which case branch pruning can encourage new growth.
