On Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27, the conference on climate change and forest fires was held in the city of ITU, State of São Paulo, Brazil, in which specialists from different countries and international organizations in this problem, presented and debated the perspectives, ways of facing the problem and technology available and applicable to these purposes.

Exhibitors and members of the public representing public and private sectors, plus members of academia, spoke about fire prevention and fighting, focusing on the predisposing conditions, causes and the consequences that they bring to people, infrastructure, production and the environment.

While the realities in each country are different, as a consequence of what has been termed climate change, it is generally believed that wildfires will become increasingly larger and more devastating, even if their number may decrease. Fires occurring in the rural-urban interface are of growing concern due to the widespread trend of living in or near forests, which increases the risks if fuel is not properly managed.

Regarding the causes, the human factor continues to be at the top of the list, followed by lightning strikes and power transmission lines.

The importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors was emphasized, and although their priorities may differ, the work must focus on early detection and immediate response, with personnel specialized in their specific tasks. The need to consider political, physical (response), and financial aspects to achieve success was also stressed.

On the other hand, the need for institutional strengthening was highlighted, so that the response does not depend on political vicissitudes.

Different systems for detecting and managing outbreaks were presented, with the response being mostly public, especially in European countries, although the case of Portugal stands out, where some companies have generated a mechanism similar to O-PAIF, which is integrated into the national response system, with similar powers and coverage.

Regarding the comparison with private initiatives, the two companies that presented their protection systems very briefly (Suzano and Eldorado) use detection and combat systems very similar to that of O-PAIF, with the adaptations that each reality requires.

Contacts were maintained with speakers and participants, in which aspects of interest to our country were explored in depth.

The meeting’s program included a visit to the Guarany company factory, a supplier of firefighting equipment and equipment used in other forestry tasks, plus a short course on fire cause investigation, taught at the same site.

From Uruguay, the meeting was attended by the coordinator of O-PAIF, two technicians from Montes del Plata closely related to it, four officers from the DNB, and a representative of the aforementioned supplier.