Aid to the areas affected by the fires: what cases do they cover and how much money does the Government give

The damage caused by the great fires this summer in Spain, which have already burned 287,010 hectares (according to data from this Tuesday from the Copernicus satellite), has not yet been quantified economically, but the aid to compensate those who live in the areas affected have been approved this Tuesday morning.

The Council of Ministers has agreed to declare as catastrophic areas (although the official name is "areas seriously affected by civil protection emergencies") various territories of 15 of the 17 autonomous communities (all except Cantabria and Asturias) that, since June 12 Until last weekend, they have suffered a total of 119 devastating forest fires.

The total amount of aid that, based on this declaration, the inhabitants of these areas will receive is still unknown, but Isabel Rodríguez,

More information

Radiography of burned Spain: 45 large fires and 250,000 hectares

Rodríguez has also lamented the death of three people in these incidents, as well as the fact that 27,500 people have had to be evacuated from their homes due to the advance of the flames, which in some cases have ended up destroying them.

"These are fires with different characteristics to those known so far, due to climate change and the high temperatures we are experiencing," added the spokeswoman.

In addition, she has urged to "put all the mechanisms to work on the prevention and extinction of fires."

"It is time to lend a hand to the communities, to collaborate in that which is their responsibility and complement this aid so that those affected can overcome these moments," she said.

The recognition of an area seriously affected by a civil protection emergency, commonly known as a catastrophic area, is included in Law 17/2015, of July 9, of the National Civil Protection System and is granted to territories that have suffered personal or materials due to a natural catastrophe —such as a snowfall, the eruption of a volcano, a major flood, an earthquake, a fire or others derived from human action—, thereby causing a civil protection emergency.

The declaration as such entails a package of extraordinary economic aid for the affected areas, such as the municipalities hit by the fires during this fateful year.

The following table lists the fires for which aid can be requested in the seven communities in which the most fires have been registered.

Castilla y León, with 40, and Galicia, with 21, are the two regions that have suffered the most serious fires (half of the total number of fires):

In addition, the fires registered in eight other communities have also been declared catastrophic: El Pont de Vilomara i Rocafort (July 17) and Manresa, the following day, both in the province of Barcelona;

Capdepera, on July 9, in the Balearic Islands;

Los Realejos, on the Canary Island of Tenerife (July 21);

that of Jumilla, in Murcia, on August 13;

those declared in Aranjuez (July 5) and Collado Mediano, on the 12th of the same month, in the Community of Madrid;

Yesa (June 15) and Carcastillo (June 25), both in Navarra;

the one declared in the Rioja town of Alfaro, on July 10, and the one in Zambrana (Álava) on August 7.

direct aid

The recovery measures provided for in the decree approved by the Government, and whose execution corresponds to the Ministry of the Interior, are the following:

• Aid for death or absolute and permanent disability, worth 18,000 euros.

• Aid for total destruction of the habitual residence up to a maximum amount of 15,120 euros.

• Aid for damages that affect the structure of the habitual residence, up to 50% of its technical valuation and with a limit of 10,320 euros.

• Aid for damages that do not affect the structure of the habitual residence, up to 50% of its technical valuation and with a limit of 5,160 euros.

• Aid for destruction or damage to basic household goods in the habitual residence, for their replacement or repair, with a limit of 2,580 euros.

• Aid for damage to common elements of general use of a community of owners under a horizontal property regime, up to 50% of the technical valuation carried out by the Insurance Compensation Consortium and with a limit of 9,224 euros.

• Aid to natural or legal persons who have made personal and property benefits: the total amount of the expenses.

• Aid for owners of industrial, commercial and service establishments, including agricultural, maritime-fishing and tourist establishments: up to 9,224 euros.

• The agreement also provides for the possibility of approving an exemption from the fees of the Central Traffic Headquarters Autonomous Body for duplicate driving or driving licenses, as well as cancellations of damaged vehicles.

Other measures:

• The different ministerial departments may declare certain areas of special action, as well as the emergency of the necessary works to repair the damage caused in state-owned infrastructures.

• The royal decree provides for the granting of aid for damage to agricultural, livestock, forestry and marine aquaculture production.

• Tax benefits: the Ministry of Finance and Civil Service will specify the exemption in the amount of the Tax on Real Estate (IBI) and the reduction in the amount of the Tax on Economic Activities (IAE) that correspond to the recipients of these aids (those received for personal injury will be exempt from income tax).

• Labor and Social Security measures, such as labor and Social Security measures or bonuses and exemptions from Social Security contributions.

• Aid for local corporations: local entities will receive aid, for an amount of up to 50%, for projects carried out by local entities to repair municipal infrastructure, installations and equipment.

See the press release from the Ministry of the Interior:

50% off

Subscribe to continue reading

read without limits

Keep reading

I'm already a subscriber