Madrid Forest Fire Protection: INFOMA Special Plan

This Plan, qualified as a Special Plan, aims to collect basically those issues that will, directly or indirectly, affect the people and forests of the Community, to deal in a coordinated manner with the various circumstances that may arise. The INFOMA is part of the Territorial Plan of the Community of Madrid (PLATERCAM), approved by Decree 85/1992 of 17 December.

Basic Functions of the INFOMA Plan

The most relevant contents of INFOMA are:

• Provide the organizational structure and procedures for intervention in fighting fires that occur in the Community of Madrid.
• Provide mechanisms and procedures for coordination with the State Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fire Risk.
• Establish joint systems with the Local Administrations in their territorial field.
• Zoning territory according to the risk and the likely consequences of forest fires.
• Define areas as possible requirements of intervention.
• Set times of danger related to the risk of forest fires, according to general forecasts.
• Provide organizational systems for the operating framework for voluntary personal collaborators.
• Specify the reporting procedures to the public.
• Cataloging specific means and resources available to the envisaged actions.

Forest Fire Danger Periods

In the territory of the Community of Madrid, three situations of forest fire danger are considered:

• High Danger Period: From 15 June until 30 September. During this time, it is "high alert" and therefore restrictive and prohibitive measures are applied.
• Medium Danger Period: From 16 May to 14 June and from 1 to 31 October. The media remain on alert and measures are maintained.
• Low Danger Period: From 1 November to 15 May. Action will be taken with special precautions, but without restrictive measures.

However, the dates of the periods described may be modified by Executive Order of the competent authority.

Classification by Level of Severity

Depending on risk analysis, vulnerability, and zoning of the territory, the following provision is made:

• Level 0: Can be controlled with extinguishing resources expected; even in a more unfavorable situation, no risk is expected to persons not related to firefighters or to property other than forest nature, or without them having special ecological value, with low, moderate, or high demand for defense.
• Level 1: Refers to those fires that can be controlled with the means provided in the Plan, provided potential developments, the need for the implementation of measures to protect people, non-forest goods, and forest defense with a very high demand.
• Level 2: Refers to those fires whose extinction is expected to require the Director of the Plan to request resources not allocated to the Plan, or may involve emergency situations that arise to the national interest.
• Level 3: Refers to those fires that, having considered the stakes of national interest, are declared by the Minister of the Interior.