The earth speaks to '30 minutes'

This Sunday, 30 minuts analyzed the new generation of forest fires in the midst of a climate emergency: more active fires, of extreme virulence, which spread faster and with behaviors that are increasingly difficult to predict. Circumstances that make them more devastating for the territory and that overwhelm extinction devices.The report addressed it based on the major fires that have broken out this summer in Catalonia and Northern Catalonia, which demonstrates a good journalistic reaction. The 30 minuts team returned to the burnt areas while the land and trees were still smoking, and toured the terrain with some of the affected people. The testimony of the couple who lived in the Gavarres massif and distinguished the remains of their home among the ashes was impactful. The contrast between the before and after, with a photograph of the house, was devastating. Also chilling was the car journey accompanying the Councilor for Security of Sant Miquel de Llotes to verify that the town's evacuation had been completed, with the added surprise of finding an elderly man alone in the middle of the deserted village.The program set aside the causes of the fires, a delicate topic in the case of the one in Empordà. At some point, responsibilities will have to be clarified. The goal of the report had more to do with prevention measures and the way to minimize the destructive power of these fires. Of course, the testimony of the expert firefighters clarified many technical aspects. The images recorded from the sky, with helicopters, which showed the burnt landscape were very revealing. There were moments that seemed recorded in black and white due to the grayness of the ash and so many hectares devastated by the fire. Distinguishing a small spot of color in the middle of the landscape made you realize the enormous reach of the fire.The Molla family, farmers from Calonge, were key witnesses in the report, due to the clarity with which they presented their arguments. Especially the statements of Núria, one of the daughters, who on the night of July 3rd, with the flames on the horizon, cried in front of the TV3 microphone: “The world is burning! The earth is burning! We have to change the way we live, the way we do things! We have to do as our grandparents did! The earth is speaking! It is incredible! The environment is hot!” Her desperation went viral. And the 30 minuts, a few days later, recovered her voice and that of the whole family with more calm. Also magnificent was the forcefulness of her sister Montserrat. Her explanations about the behavior of fire and the importance of agricultural work were more enlightening than those of any firefighter. The best thing about 30 minuts was how their words were combined with the aerial images of the area, in such a way that the viewer understood perfectly the authentic potential of prevention. There is that litany that is said every year in the midst of the catastrophe: “Summer fires are put out in winter.” Let's see if those who are supposed to be in charge watch the report.