Emilio Chuvieco (Madrid, 62 years old) has spent half his life studying fire, since he began his research career at the University of Berkeley (United States) in 1987. In all this time he has witnessed the emergence of a new type of fires, those of the sixth generation, linked to climate change, but also to demographic change. Director of the chair of environmental ethics at the University of Alcalá de Henares, he also coordinates the Environmental Remote Sensing Research Group of the Alcalá center. His team uses satellites and the LIDAR (airborne laser) system to prevent fires, analyze their damage and possible recovery. Awarded in 2022 with the Jaume I Prize for Environmental Protection, he is the scientific manager of FireEUrisk, a project promoted by the European Commission 2022 to determine and minimize the risk of extreme fires in Europe. In this interview he makes it clear that it is not enough to have airplanes, that the fire must be put out long before it starts.
