What are the keys to the reduction in forest fires in the Balearic Islands?

The smoke of the fires The blaze that is ravaging much of the Iberian Peninsula has reached the Balearic Islands and turned the sky gray. The islands' forested areas are a powder keg due to the overgrowth of vegetation. But if many of these areas have already been burned elsewhere in Spain, why haven't they done so in the Balearic Islands? What are the keys to keeping forest fires at bay in the archipelago?

The manager of the Balearic Institute of Nature (Ibanat) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, Tomeu Llabrés, explains that if smoke is detected, "even if there is no confirmed fire alarm, an immediate exit system is deployed, gaining precious time to stop it." Through this method, "ground and air resources are automatically deployed" to control the fire, he explains. "It's better to go back empty than to waste even five minutes," he believes.

On the other hand, he explains that, compared to other places that currently have fires, such as Galicia, the Balearic Islands have a "small" territory, which allows them to act quickly if they detect any. In addition, he highlights that in the Islands "when heat waves come, the system is sized and the available personnel is expanded."

In the same sense, he emphasizes that prevention tasks are carried out, such as creating between 250 and 300 hectares of firebreaks in forest areas, and points out that public awareness work is also carried out, which according to him is "very strong." Although last year there were 98 fires that burned 305 hectares of the Islands, This year 48 have been registered with a total area of almost 25 hectares., according to data from Ibanat. During the first seven months of 2025, 19 fires were recorded in Mallorca (affecting 17.31 hectares); in Ibiza, 15 (affecting 2.01 hectares); in Menorca, 7 (affecting 3.20 hectares); and towards Formentera.

Llabrés links this drop in the number of fires to the weather on the islands during the spring of 2025. "The land has retained the moisture from the rains," he clarifies. However, he warns Ibanat "it is not letting its guard down" and points out that the Balearic Islands remain on fire alert four, the maximum danger level for forest fires.