The Balearic government will declare the high-risk forest fire season from 1 May and open fires will be banned in woodland areas and in all recreational parks. According to a statement issued by the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment, this measure, which will remain in force until 15 October, is an annual preventative measure aimed at protecting the natural heritage and ensuring public safety during the hot and dry months.
The measure prohibits lighting fires within 50 metres of woodland and recreational areas in the Balearics. In this regard, administrative authorisation will be required to carry out controlled burning of agricultural land situated within 500 metres of woodland. With the start of the season, 350 personnel from the Inter-Island Forest Fire Operation (OIIF) have been deployed, including an aerial unit comprising five helicopters and three aircraft – two amphibious and one for coordination and surveillance – stationed in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza.
The Regional Ministry has highlighted that, according to data from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), the fire risk remains within normal limits, although it has warned that, despite the rains in winter and spring, the rise in temperatures during April is causing vegetation to dry out. Between 1 January and 27 April 2026, 14 forest fires were recorded, affecting 4.71 hectares. A large part of this area corresponds to the fires in Almallutx, covering 1.2 hectares, and in Orient, covering 2.5 hectares, which account for 78 per cent of the total.
Furthermore, during 2025, controlled burns were carried out across 12.5 hectares, and for 2026, it is planned to carry out further controlled burns across a further 62 hectares. Technical training has been strengthened, particularly in aerial coordination, as well as the awareness-raising activities of Xarxa Forestal, which reached 8,050 people through 307 activities during the 2024–2025 academic year.
In 2025, work was carried out on a total of 1,138 hectares of forest, comprising 630 hectares in Mallorca, 267 in Menorca, 220 in Ibiza and 21 in Formentera. That year, forestry grants accounted for 60 per cent of the area covered, corresponding to 674 hectares, with a public investment of €2.2 million in the latest funding round and nearly an additional €1 million for the restoration of damage caused by Storm Juliette.
The remaining work was carried out by teams and staff from the Balearic Institute of Nature (Ibanat), which worked on 366 hectares, and the Agricultural Transformation Company (Tragsa), which worked on 98 hectares. Among the most significant measures are the creation of auxiliary defence strips across 277 hectares, the restoration of ecosystems degraded by natural phenomena across 264 hectares, preventive forestry measures across 226 hectares, and the creation of infrastructure safety strips across 89 hectares.
The Regional Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, noted that every hectare managed represents a direct investment in safety and the protection of the land, adding that this work is “key to reducing the risk and intensity of forest fires”.