The 2009 Smouldering Peat Fire in Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park (Spain)

Abstract

Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park (TDNP), recognized as both Biosphere reserve by UNESCO and Ramsar site, is one of the last representatives in the Iberian Peninsula of Mediterranean wetlands linked to groundwater dynamics. It constitutes an outstanding flora and fauna reserve. The inappropriate agricultural management of the groundwater resources that support the system has caused the drying up of the wetland from 2004 to 2009. As a consequence, a smouldering peat fire started inside the TDNP in August 2009. This fire poses an enormous risk for both the physical structure supporting the ecosystem and the quality of groundwater beneath it. The situation got worse in September when a surface fire in the eastern limit of the Park, 3.5 km away from the first underground seat, transmitted to the subsoil giving rise to a second smouldering peat fire outside the Park. The analysis of key parameters monitored in several locations of the TDNP at different depths, such as soil moisture, temperature and organic matter content, shows there was enough previous evidence to foresee the peat self-combustion and the risk that any surface fire could be transmitted to the subsoil. The relatively small size of the Park, the knowledge of the spatial distribution of peat masses, together with the detailed knowledge about soil and vadose zone structure, have allowed to design and execute an emergency plan to hold the fire back. The experience has allowed to check for strong and weak points in the vigilance and alert system implemented, to confirm the effectiveness of the measures applied for the fire control and to propose short and long term actions for preventing fires from starting in the future.