The Valencia City Council has activated the 11 SIDEINFO cannons in the Devesa de El Saler forest for 14 days in July, nearly matching the 15 days of operation from last summer.
The Valencia City Council has activated the 11 SIDEINFO cannons in the Devesa de El Saler forest for 14 days in July, a figure that almost equals the 15 days recorded between July and August 2025. This activation responds to two heatwaves and episodes of extreme wildfire risk declared by the Generalitat.
The Councillor for Civil Protection, Juan Carlos Caballero, highlighted that “the system has nearly reached the same number of operating days as during those two months last summer,” which indicates a particularly demanding summer in terms of wildfire risk. Caballero insisted that prevention is key and that technology helps, but the best tool remains citizen responsibility.
The system was activated in four periods: from July 6 to 9; on the 15th and 16th; on the 23rd; and from the 25th to the 31st, when it operated for seven consecutive days, the longest streak of the summer. The cannons are activated preventively when the Generalitat declares a red alert level, to increase the humidity of the vegetation, reduce temperature, and create moist corridors that hinder the spread of a potential fire.
These cannons, ranging from 12 to 16 meters in height, can shoot water up to 42 meters and can mobilise 10,000 litres per minute, nearly double that of an amphibious aircraft. They are complemented by 15 portable cannons and are part of the municipal wildfire prevention device.
The councillor has called for citizen collaboration: do not throw cigarette butts, do not light fires, do not use fireworks, dispose of waste in bins, keep access points clear, and call 112 at any sign of smoke. “Every gesture counts to protect one of Valencia's most valuable natural spaces,” he concluded.
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