Minas adopts forest fire prevention as a priority and anticipates the dry period

Minas Gerais It is already a reference in state policies for preventing and combating forest fires and the planning and execution of actions in the state begin well before the so-called critical dry period, which comprises the months of August, September and October.

O State Forestry Institute (IEF) promotes actions of Integrated Fire Management in Conservation Units (UCs) mining, involving aspects ranging from preparation, prevention, suppression and even the use of fire as a tool to prevent large fires.

Since 2020, the intentional use of fire has been a regulated practice in and around state conservation areas. The months preceding the dry period are suitable for carrying out prescribed burning, as the vegetation is greener and moister, which provides greater fire control.

Integration

O Integrated Fire Management takes into account the relationship of evolutionary dependence on fire in the biomes where it will be used, adopting prior measures to protect water resources, fauna and flora existing in the area.

The state parks of Rio Preto and Biribiriin the region of Jequitinhonha, there are two units that carried out prescribed burning in recent weeks. With vegetation cover predominantly of thickmanagers have integrated planning between the two units and work together in fire management.

“Last year, we already carried out very comprehensive planning, covering more than 500 hectares distributed across several areas. Now, we are in a very favorable time to work with this low-intensity fire at the end of April. We had a very rainy March, leaving the sodden vegetation”says the manager of PE Biribiri, Rodrigo Zeller.

Manager of PE do Rio Preto 30 years ago, Antonio Carlos GodoyO Tonhão, you’ve seen big fires and countless ways to try to fight and prevent them. For him, the Integrated Fire Management It is the most successful method so far.

“The fire that happens from August to October, when droughts last longer, chars everything. Integrated Fire Management came to give us the freedom to make prescribed burning plans within conservation units, preserving these parks much better”scores.