An assessment of wildfire management in Andalusia found that suppression operations protected an estimated 67% of the potentially burnable area across 39 wildfires recorded between 2011 and 2019.
The findings were published in 2026 by Ortega M, López Sancho A and Molina JR in the International Journal of Wildland Fire.
The study estimated that for every unit of cost invested in suppression, about three units of potential economic losses were averted.
The authors concluded that operational performance and economic return varied according to province, fire behaviour and timing within the season.
Provincial, seasonal and fire behaviour patterns shaped results in Spain
The analysis identified consistent differences between provinces in southern Spain, with Córdoba and Sevilla recording higher effectiveness and higher cost-benefit values than Huelva and Cádiz.
Fire growth rate was linked to lower effectiveness, with faster-growing fires more difficult to contain.
Longer control times were associated with improved cost-benefit and cost effectiveness values.
The study reported lower containment effectiveness for fires occurring in June compared with July and August.
Later-season fires were associated with higher cost effectiveness.
Wildfires igniting during daytime were less effectively contained than those starting at night.
Higher rates of spread and longer flame lengths were linked in the modelling to increased technical efficiency values, alongside longer control times.
Modified index proposed to reflect area saved rather than area burned
The paper reported that the traditional Management Index relates suppression costs to total area burned, which can produce low values when fires are kept small.
To address this, the authors proposed a modified Management Index that links suppression costs to the area saved from burning.
The mean technical efficiency value reported in the study was 0.61, and the mean modified index value was 0.33.
The authors stated that combining measures of operational effectiveness and economic efficiency provides a multidimensional framework for assessing wildfire suppression performance in Spain.