Benidorm completes fire prevention measures and the creation of new trails in the Xixo area of ​​El Moralet Park

Benidorm City Council has practically completed the work being carried out in El Moralet Park to protect the area against fires, as well as to add new trails and provide park furniture adapted to the environment. This project falls under Action 1 of the 2023 Tourism Sustainability Plan and is one of the actions requested by the City Council for which it received funding.

Benidorm City Council applied for a grant that year to carry out several actions within the Tourism Sustainability Plan, part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan financed by the European Union's NextGeneration-EU program. This grant was included in the Valencian Community's Territorial Sustainability Plan and coordinated by Turisme Comunitat Valenciana. The total budget for this project was €434,808.85.

The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, and the Councillor for Parks and Gardens, José Ramón González de Zárate, visited the area with representatives of the company that carried out the work to see the final results. The work focused primarily on creating a perimeter firebreak around the park, pruning and thinning in wooded areas, and installing eleven thermal imaging cameras for fire detection. New trails were also created around the Xixo ravine, and new wooden litter bins were placed throughout the park.

Toni Pérez emphasised that "we now have new trails and paths in an area, the Xixo ravine, that was previously almost invisible and that can now be enjoyed." He also highlighted the fire protection measures implemented. “All the homes and buildings facing the park now have greater protection, as do those on Adolfo Suárez Street, Vía Parque, and Foietes Street. These were homes very close to the park's wooded areas, and now, thanks to the thinning and pruning work and the perimeter firebreak, they are much better protected,” the mayor stated. This work involved felling some trees to establish a distance of five to seven meters between them, promoting their growth and providing fire protection.

In this regard, he highlighted the presence of fire detection cameras, thermal cameras that “detect heat in the event of a sudden temperature rise and can send the corresponding alarm.” These cameras also serve “as surveillance against possible acts of vandalism, illegal dumping, etc.”

The final phase of the work focused on the Xixo ravine. “The presence of slopes and dense vegetation made it almost inaccessible to people, and now the area has been cleared and has new paths for the enjoyment of the many people who visit this green space,” said Pérez. These new paths in the Xixo area provide two new access points to the park: one next to the Miguel Hernández school and the other next to the commercial area near Adolfo Suárez Avenue. Both have wooden barriers or fences.

These improvements complement other work carried out by the City Council, such as the installation of new litter bins and the work done by LABORA employees through two important programs. “They have repaired roads, paths, and terraces, and have restored irrigation ponds and much of the area's wildlife,” revealed Toni Pérez, who also mentioned FGV's collaboration in installing a new footbridge and barriers as part of the TRAM track duplication project.

The mayor described these interventions as “sustainable and healthy” in an area that is “one of the jewels of our city,” stretching from Colonia Madrid to La Cala. Benidorm is a sustainable city that protects its surroundings and the environment, and with these actions, we are focusing on protecting our forests, pine groves, and trees so that people can enjoy them. It's about valuing and enhancing our natural environment,” Pérez concluded.