Both political leaders agreed on the forcefulness of their messages, emphasizing that "the climate emergency kills" and the need to "learn and teach the population to save lives." Pedro Sánchez called for "a great climate agreement, a national agreement that guarantees us greater security."
The visit took place at the Turre Fire Station, where the Advanced Command Post is located. Sánchez and Moreno greeted the more than 500 professionals who participated in the extinction and protection efforts, and met with the technical team and the mayors of the affected municipalities.
The fire originated last Thursday in Almocáizar, Los Gallardos, allegedly from a spark from a cable, and rapidly advanced towards Bédar, causing the worst forest catastrophe ever recorded in the province of Almería.
Juanma Moreno announced that the fire would be controlled during the day, allowing the emergency to be downgraded to operational level 0. However, he warned of a worrying scenario for Andalucía this summer, with a burned area three times larger than last year, attributed to abundant vegetation after recent rains.
The Andalusian president highlighted the impact of climate change on increasingly complex and dramatic fires, advocating for institutional coordination and greater citizen involvement. He urged the population to exercise extreme vigilance and requested the introduction of a "prevention culture" into the educational model to adapt to emergency circumstances.
Sánchez, for his part, agreed in identifying climate change as a key challenge, recalling that Spain accounted for one-third of the burned area in Europe last year. He reiterated the need for broad political and social consensus to prevent and train for emergencies, and stressed the importance of civil society's awareness.
The President of the Government described the situation as "the climate emergency kills" and called for maximum vigilance. After extending his condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, he highlighted the "cooperation, unity, and coherence" of all administrations and pledged the Executive's support for the "material reconstruction" of the affected areas.
