Villanueva de la Sierra approves its municipal plan for forest fire risk

The City Council of Villanueva de la Sierra has definitively approved its Municipal Action Plan for Forest Fire Risk (PAMIF), according to the announcement published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Cáceres on Thursday, October 15, 2026, in its Section I - Local Administration, with the official reference BOP-2026-4828. The agreement was adopted by the municipal Plenary in an extraordinary session on October 1, 2026, and the text is now subject to public consultation for a period of thirty business days.

The PAMIF serves as the municipal reference instrument for the preparation, prevention, and response to forest fire risks, ensuring the municipality’s integration into the public Civil Protection system and coordination with higher-level plans. The publication of the definitive approval in the provincial gazette is mandatory because Villanueva de la Sierra is among the municipalities classified as a specific high-risk zone under regional regulations.

Plenary Support and Agreement Content

The definitive approval passed by an absolute majority of the Plenary, with favorable votes from the four councilors of the Socialist Group and a vote against from Edelmira, a non-affiliated councilor. The plenary agreement was finalized in an extraordinary session held on October 1, 2026.

The full text of the plan will be published on the City Council’s electronic office, accessible at https://villanuevadelasierra.sedelectronica.es, for the general knowledge of the residents.

A Municipality in a High-Risk Zone

The obligation to draft and approve this plan derives from the classification of the municipal district as a specific high-risk zone for forest fires within the regional regulations of Extremadura. These regulations include Law 5/2004 on the prevention and fight against forest fires in Extremadura and Decree 260/2014, of December 2, which regulates forest fire prevention, whose Annex I lists the high-risk zones.

During the same period, other city councils in the province have processed equivalent instruments, such as Navaconcejo, Madrigal de la Vera, Collado de la Vera, Valdastillas, Villanueva de la Vera, and Majadas, reflecting a widespread process of municipal adaptation to regional prevention requirements.

Thirty Business Days for Claims

The announcement opens a public information period of thirty business days starting from the publication in the gazette. During this period, interested parties may:

• Examine the full content of the PAMIF.
• Submit any claims they deem appropriate.

If no claim is filed, the plan shall be understood as definitively approved without the need for a new plenary agreement. The announcement is signed by Felipe Jesús Saul Calvo, mayor of Villanueva de la Sierra, dated October 8, 2026.

The approval of this plan provides the municipality with its own framework for prevention and response to forest fires, a particularly relevant risk in the urban-forest interface areas of the province of Cáceres. For the residents, it means having an instrument that organizes prevention measures, coordination with extinction services, and the protection of people and property in the event of emergencies.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Cáceres, no. 0198, October 15, 2026, Section I - Local Administration, page 23483 (official reference: BOP-2026-4828).