Mijas Council has approved a new ordinance Planes de Autoprotección, a tool to protect against the consequences of forest fires, which will force urbanisations to have documents relating to actions to be carried out in cases of emergencies.
The Planes de Autoprotección has been a requirement of regional law since 1999. In addition to the hundreds of urbanisations, communities and owners of businesses or properties in forest catchment areas will also have to have these documents.
The plans will have to include, amongst other things, escape routes and the locations of fire hydrants. In addition, a number of safety measures will have to be implemented in the affected areas, including setting up a safety zone to prevent the spread of any fire to houses.
At least some of the documentation will involve the use of specialist technicians. Plans will have to be approved by the Council, and no doubt for a fee.
The Council says the idea is to try and prevent the devastation caused by forest fires, such as the one last summer. Why this is only being started during the annual fire season, rather than during the winter, and a year after the major fire is anyone’s guess.