Spain has warned UK tourists over a “critical situation” in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires. European Union holidaymakers and tourists have been handed a warning over the risk the country faces following the LA fires.
A 2010 study estimated over a million hectares of such land are at risk – and the situation is worsening. Cristina Montiel Molina, a professor at Complutense University, warned 85 per cent of fires are human-caused with people unaware of the risk factors.
“The situation is dire, and I’m not exaggerating,” she told the Spanish publication elDiario. Lourdes Hernández, a forest fire expert at WWF, supported the view of the professor after the fires spread wildly in Los Angeles in California in January.
READ MORE All the parts of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland facing 13-inch snow
“We continue to build in dangerous areas without considering fire risk,” says Ms Hernández. Pascale Vacca, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, warned Mediterranean homes are not “completely protected.”
“We lack specific regulations for building in urban-forest interfaces,” he says Montiel Molina warned: “We need to act before it’s too late.” Foreign Office (FCDO) guidance on Spain travel currently says: “Wildfires happen often in Spain, including on the islands, during the summer months.
“Be aware of your environment when visiting or driving through woodland areas. For information on wildfire risk visit the Spanish Meteorological Office (AEMET).” It comes as a recent legal restriction which came into effect only this week has placed a cap on any new holiday rentals to be built or registered in 43 areas of the Costa del Sol for at least three years.
The move is part of efforts to crack down on the impact of mass tourism in the region as anger continues to grow among locals and residents due to a lack of affordable housing and an influx of British tourists and visitors.
This post was originally published on here
