Region of Murcia prepares €80 million mega-contract to tackle forest fires

Regional government launches tender for a five-year contract covering wildfire prevention, surveillance and firefighting as summer temperatures arrive early

After temperatures reached 39°C and an early-season wildfire threatened homes and destroyed 177 hectares of land in the first week of June, the Region of Murcia began awarding an €80 million contract to improve wildfire prevention, surveillance, and emergency response.

As a result of these intense temperatures, the risk of wildfires has also increased earlier than expected, with forests particularly vulnerable due to the heat and the ease with which fires can spread. In response, the regional government has begun the process of tendering a major contract covering forest management and the protection of the region's natural environment.

The contract has an initial duration of five years, although it could be extended further. If all options are exercised, the total value of the agreement could reach €94 million.

At this stage, a preliminary notice has been published to allow interested companies to begin preparing their bids. However, the tender documents still need to be approved before the selection process officially begins, meaning the new contract will not be operational this summer.

The tender is divided into two lots. The first and by far the largest covers the prevention, surveillance, detection and extinguishing of forest fires across the Region of Murcia and accounts for almost all of the €80 million budget.

Bids will be judged mainly on technical quality, which will account for 45% of the score. A further 35% will be awarded for the resources and extra support companies can provide, with price making up the remaining 20%.

A second, smaller contract worth €376,000 will cover technical support for the main firefighting service. This includes helping to coordinate operations, plan prevention work, draw up guidelines, and oversee inspections of equipment and facilities. In this case, staff experience will also play a key role in the scoring.

177 hectares destroyed in recent Murcia wildfire

The project comes shortly after the forest fire that broke out in the Los Garres and Lages area last week, destroying 177 hectares of land in Murcia, much of it within the El Valle-Carrascoy Regional Park.

The blaze, seen as an early warning of the challenges the summer fire season may bring, led to the deployment of 400 members of the Forest Fire Defence Unit (UDIF), along with 200 personnel and 70 vehicles from Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME).

Images: Bomberos Murcia