New civil protection directive on forest fires: what companies and municipalities must do in 2026

Key data

Forest companies and municipalities in risk areas have a new adaptation obligation as of April 23, 2026. The Council of Ministers approved on that date the Basic Directive for Civil Protection Planning in the face of forest fire risk, published in the BOE on April 27 through the Subsecretariat Resolution (BOE-A-2026-9159).

This regulation is not a recommendation: it is the mandatory reference framework for the entire planning and response chain for forest fires in Spain, from the State to the municipality. And it has direct consequences for the private sector operating in forest environments.

What does this regulation establish?

The directive updates the criteria with which all public administrations must plan, coordinate and respond to emergencies caused by forest fires. The central elements it regulates are:

• Emergency levels: Defines the different activation levels for a forest fire, establishing when and under what conditions each response level is activated.
• Plan activation mechanisms: Determines how and when emergency plans are activated at each administrative level.
• Responsibilities by administrative level: Clearly distributes competencies and obligations between the State, autonomous communities and local entities.
• Coordination criteria: Establishes how different levels of administration must coordinate when an emergency occurs.

The directive updates the previous regulatory framework, adapting planning and operational response criteria to the current reality of forest fire risk in Spain.

Economic and operational impact

This regulation does not establish direct fees or economic sanctions in its text, but it has operational and cost consequences for affected organizations:

• Review of internal protocols: Forest and forest management companies must review and update their self-protection plans and emergency protocols to align them with the new levels and mechanisms defined in the directive.
• Adaptation of municipal plans: Municipalities with local emergency plans in forest areas must initiate a process of reviewing and updating such plans, which involves technical and administrative costs.
• Coordination with administrations: Companies operating in risk areas must know the new emergency levels to properly integrate into response protocols when activated.
• Training and internal communication: The update of the regulatory framework requires that teams responsible for safety and emergencies in affected companies know the new criteria.

Who does it affect?

• Forest sector companies: Logging operations, forest harvesting companies and similar entities operating in forests or wooded areas.
• Forest management companies: Private entities or concessionaires that manage public or private forest spaces.
• Sectors operating in risk areas: Construction, energy, rural tourism, agriculture companies or any activity carried out in environments with forest fire risk.
• Emergency sector companies: Companies providing fire suppression, prevention and forest emergency management services.
• Municipalities in forest areas: City councils that have local emergency plans that must be reviewed in accordance with the new directive.
• Autonomous communities: Must adapt their regional emergency plans to the new coordination framework and emergency levels.
• State: Assumes the general coordination responsibilities defined in the directive.

Practical example

A forest management company operating in a high-risk fire area in Castilla y León currently has an emergency protocol developed in accordance with the previous directive. With the entry into force of this new regulation on April 23, 2026, that protocol may have become outdated in key aspects: the emergency levels the company manages must match those now defined by the directive so that coordination with the regional administration and fire suppression services works correctly.

If a fire occurs and the company activates its internal protocol with criteria different from those established in the new directive, it can generate coordination problems with public emergency services, which in addition to being an operational risk can result in legal liability. Review of the internal protocol is therefore a priority and immediate action.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if your activity is in a forest risk area: Check if your facilities, operations or concessions are located in areas classified as forest fire risk zones. If so, this regulation affects you directly.
2. Review internal emergency protocols: Compare your current self-protection plan or emergency protocol with the levels and activation mechanisms defined by the new directive. Identify gaps and update the document.
3. Contact the corresponding regional administration: Autonomous communities are the intermediate coordination level. Consult with your autonomous community how the new directive affects the plans in which your company may be integrated.
4. Train the team responsible for safety and emergencies: Ensure that people responsible for safety in your organization know the new activation and coordination criteria defined in the directive.
5. If you are a municipality, initiate review of the local emergency plan: City councils with emergency plans in forest areas must adapt those plans to the new directive. Prioritize this review if your municipality has a history of high risk.
6. Consult the full text of the regulation: The complete directive is available in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-9159) to verify the specific emergency levels and detailed responsibilities by administrative level.