From 16 to 20 June, the IX Congreso Forestal Español, the flagship event in the forestry sector in Spain, took place in Gijón. This year’s edition focused on the theme “Forest Intelligence as a driver of transformation”. It was an opportunity for our project to present the latest results achieved, as well as to actively contribute to the dialogue with experts and stakeholders, bringing concrete perspectives on how to make territories more resilient to extreme wildfires.
Conservation and Innovation: extreme forest fires and advanced technological solutions
Wildfires took centre stage during the entire conference, confirming their growing importance in the context of climate change and land management. At various points, FIRE-RES partners were able to highlight the high impact of the project, emphasising its integrated and multidisciplinary approach.
The round table discussion entitled “Conservation of ecosystems and landscape design. Advanced technological solutions”, moderated by Pau Brunet (CTFC), allowed FIRE-RES partners to raise awareness on these key issues. Participants included the project coordinator Antoni Trasobares (CTFC), José Ramón González (CTFC), José Borges (ISA), and Adrián Cardil (Technosylva). The debate focused on how to tackle extreme wildfires using advanced technological solutions, with an emphasis on the integrated approach developed within the FIRE-RES project. The panellists underscored the importance of promoting more resilient landscapes by combining ecosystem conservation, innovative decision-making tools, and cutting-edge technology.
The discussion addressed the various dimensions of fire management, including research, technology, civil protection, policy, and governance: all must be interconnected to support a transition towards safer and more sustainable communities and landscapes, which are the cornerstones of the FIRE-RES approach.
Exhibition area: an occasion to present FIRE-RES Innovation Actions
During the event, the exhibition “50 years of understanding and prevention of forest fires” offered a valuable opportunity to explore some of the proposed innovations. On this occasion, several experts had the opportunity to share their valuable results.
Sergio De Frutos (CTFC) presented the prioritisation of post-fire restoration areas, a strategy designed to determine which areas within a burnt perimeter should have a higher priority for restoration, and which management actions need to be implemented. The Innovation Action “Fire Wine” was also presented by Elena Górriz Mifsud (CTFC), who illustrated the key role that viticulturists can play in reducing the risk of forest fires and creating resilient landscapes.
Three additional presentations focused on forest management, although with different approaches: Pedro Tardós (CTFC) analysed the effects of different Dehesa thinning treatments, combining thinning intensities and logging techniques, on potential wildfire behaviour. Eduard Busquets (CTFC) presented the process of parameterising forest treatments for wildfire prevention, aiming to identify which forests and structures require investment to reduce risk and improve management. Erico Kutchartt (CTFC) presented the pan-European forest fuel server, an Innovation Action designed to provide a comprehensive suite of geospatial datasets. The platform integrates satellite data and machine learning to map biomass and fuels, and supports fire management and simulation through field-validated and LiDAR-based models. Developed in collaboration with the University of Padova, the web-GIS platform aims to enhance wildfire risk assessment and response.
A sociological perspective was provided by Marc Rovellada (CTFC), by analyzing the socioeconomic incentives and barriers to promoting coordinated forest management among landowners to address wildfires through Nature-Based Solutions, such as grazing. Key elements identified for successful implementation include community networks, risk perception, and facilitation agents.
