24. Believes that the drawing-up of risk maps and management plans should not be restricted to flooding, as in the Commission's current proposal for a directive, but should cover drought and forest fires, with maps being drawn up of areas at high risk of fires and drought within the EU together with the corresponding management plans;

With regard to Regulation (EEC) No 2158 on the protection of forests against fire, an action framework was established to reduce the number of fires and the surface area affected by them, providing for the co-funding of fundamentally preventive actions.

Which Member States have the highest number of fires and largest areas of forest destroyed by fire?

6. Calls for the policy of reafforestation of damaged areas to be conducted showing due respect for local plant species and the diversity of ecosystems, and emphasises once again that special attention should be given to the restoration of rural landscapes; stresses that efforts aimed at introducing ecological management of resources should ensure that the potential of any given area, including its agro-sylvo-pastoral potential, is matched with appropriate actitivies, which can revitalise the area by providing alternative forms of sustainable development; points out that the existence of such activities in forestry areas can help with ...[+++]surveillance and act as a deterrent against the starting of fires, whether deliberate or accidental;

Senators, the Canadian Armed Forces played a very important role during the fire situation extinguishing hot spots and stabilizing the less active fire areas in the zone.

Some 56 troops including 17 reservists are now taking trucks into the forest fire area to transport firefighters.