The province of Córdoba faces a significant risk of forest fires, with 51 municipalities declared danger zones by the Junta de Andalucía. However, most of these localities fail to comply with the obligation to have a Local Forest Fire Emergency Plan (Pleif), a strategy for fire prevention and fighting that must be reviewed every four years.
The regional regulation, initially approved in 2010 and modified in 2016, mandates that high-risk localities must have a Pleif. At the Andalusian level, 593 municipalities were cataloged as danger zones, but only 139 initially responded to the requirement. The situation worsens when considering the need for updates: currently, only 61 Andalusian municipalities have their plans in force. In the province of Córdoba, this figure drastically reduces to just four localities: Hornachuelos, the capital Córdoba, and Zuheros, whose plans were homologated or developed in 2024, and Carcabuey, whose document, drafted in 2022, will require renewal soon.
These four municipalities represent just 7.8% of the total Córdoba localities obliged to regulate their forest fire prevention and fighting plans. Another 19 municipalities have plans that, although established in the past (mostly between 2012 and 2015), have now expired, meaning more than a decade has passed without an update. These include Alcaracejos, Almodóvar del Río, Belalcázar, Benamejí, Cardeña, Dos Torres, Espiel, Hinojosa del Duque, La Granjuela, Los Blázquez, Lucena, Palenciana, Pedroche, Pozoblanco, Priego de Córdoba, Puente Genil, Torrecampo, Valsequillo, and Villaharta.
On the other hand, 28 out of the 51 municipalities with danger zones have never enacted a Pleif. Many of these localities are working to comply with the obligation, including Adamuz, Aguilar de la Frontera, Almedinilla, Añora, Baena, Belmez, Cabra, Conquista, Doña Mencía, El Guijo, El Viso, Fuente La Lancha, Fuente Obejuna, Fuente-Tójar, Iznájar, Luque, Montoro, Obejo, Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo, Posadas, Rute, Santa Eufemia, Villafranca, Villanueva de Córdoba, Villanueva del Duque, Villanueva del Rey, Villaralto, and Villaviciosa. In total, 54.9% of the danger zones in Córdoba have not had an approved Local Plan for over five years.
The fire risk not only affects forest areas but also scattered population centers. In Hornachuelos, for instance, 205 of its 4,415 inhabitants reside in dispersed areas, requiring specific warning and evacuation measures. The plans also identify strategic infrastructure like roads, water points, and access routes to the countryside. The plan for the Cordoban capital, spanning 335 pages, not only protects natural heritage but also includes historical-artistic elements such as the Baños de Popea or the archaeological site of Medina Azahara, which was endangered during the Cerro Muriano fire. Interestingly, Obejo, part of the municipality affected by the Cerro Muriano fire, is among those that did not formalize their Pleif.
