Figaredo accuses the Government of worshipping the "god of climate change" in fire management and demands forest deregulation

The Vox far-right deputy, José María Figaredo, has taken advantage of the wave of fires hitting different parts of Spain to attack climate policies and demand deregulation of forest protection. The general secretary of the Vox Parliamentary Group has accused the Government of "worshipping the god of climate change to prevent more fires" during an interview granted to 'Radio Libertad'.

The ultra deputy has called Spain a "failed state" and attributes the evacuation of populations to the Executive's inability to control the flames. His discourse places all responsibility on Pedro Sánchez, although prevention, forest planning, and the first response to fires mainly correspond to the autonomous communities.

The statements come during one of the toughest campaigns in recent years. Spain had accumulated up to July 24 29 large fires and more than 114,700 affected forest hectares, according to the latest data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition. Seventeen of these large fires have occurred this month, almost double the historical average for July.

Vox again removes climate change from the equation

Figaredo maintains that recent governments act with an "almost religious" conception of climate change. Scientific evidence, however, places rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and loss of vegetation moisture among the factors that increase the danger and virulence of fires.

The material origin of a fire can be found in negligence, a machine, lightning, or a deliberate act. Climatic conditions then determine the speed of propagation, the intensity of the flames, and the ability of teams to contain them. The IPCC warns that the risk of fires will grow in all European regions and will especially hit the south of the continent.

Territory management is also decisive. Rural abandonment, the accumulation of plant fuel, the lack of agricultural mosaics, and the scarcity of preventive work increase the vulnerability of the mountains. Prevention needs to combine forest treatments, year-round resources, and adaptation to increasingly extreme climatic conditions.

Figaredo has argued that some public officials stop cleaning forests for fear of receiving sanctions or suffering disqualification. The Forest Law allows silvicultural treatments and requires them to be planned. Its article 48 entrusts the communities with the annual approval of plans that include firebreaks, access roads, water points, and vegetation work.

The most severe restrictions appear during days with very high or extreme risk, when the use of machinery capable of producing sparks or controlled burns can cause a new ignition. Figaredo has asked to eliminate obstacles, but has not yet detailed which rules he wants to suppress or how he intends to maintain safety guarantees during those periods.

The comparison between planes and Falcons

The Vox leader has also stated that Spain has "eight fire extinguishing planes and five Falcons." Figaredo has not explained where the first figure comes from or whether he is referring to aircraft available at a specific moment, deployed over certain fires, or belonging to a part of the state apparatus.

The inventory published by the Military Emergency Unit includes 14 Canadair CL-215T and three Bombardier CL-415 under its operational command. To these are added the planes contracted by Ecological Transition, bomber helicopters, coordination aircraft, and the own resources of each autonomous community.

The Falcons belong to the 45th Group of the Air Force and are intended for the transport of authorities and other official missions. Both resources are part of different structures and their aircraft are not interchangeable either, so the comparison chosen by Figaredo functions as a political attack against the Government and not as a complete description of the firefighting operation.

The deputy has simultaneously denounced that forest firefighters risk their lives "without means" and has demanded public services "prioritized for those from here." Vox thus maintains its criterion of national preference even when talking about emergencies that affect entire populations and require the collaboration of administrations, brigades, and teams from different territories.

The offensive is part of a coordinated argument by the far-right. The Vox spokesperson in the Madrid Assembly, Isabel Pérez Moñino, also blamed this Monday "climate fanaticism" for preventing the cleaning of the countryside. Figaredo has also announced a meeting of his party to coordinate deregulatory policies from the governments in which it participates.

Vox will now take this offensive to regional and municipal regulations. Figaredo still needs to specify what prevention measures he intends to eliminate and what alternative he offers to protect the population when extreme heat, wind, and dry vegetation coincide again.