The return of the period from 16 October to 31 May does not make agricultural burning unrestricted. On forest land and within its influence zone, filing a responsible declaration is only one condition. Before lighting anything, the operator must check the day’s wildfire alert, municipal restrictions and the local burning plan.
The declaration is for small and micro farms
Procedure GVA 94805 replaces prior authorisation with a responsible declaration for small and micro agricultural operations burning field margins or plant waste within the forest influence zone during that period. It takes effect on filing and remains valid for no more than one year, provided the forestry regulation, its annexes and local conditions are observed.
It is not valid from 1 June to 15 October. Nor does it cover any kind of waste, a different plot whose rules have not been checked, or breaches of times and safety distances. A council may have a stricter local plan defining days, sectors, hours or an additional local step.
Medium and large operations need an express decision
Operations with at least 50 employees or annual turnover of €10 million or more do not use that simplified route. They must apply under procedure GVA 22978 and demonstrate either a plant-health reason that cannot be addressed in another way or a wildfire-prevention need. The crop must be among those admitted, and the authority requires evidence that shredding, incorporation into the soil or delivery to an authorised waste operator is not feasible.
Submitting an application is not permission to burn. Work can begin only after a favourable decision and must follow its specific conditions. As a general rule, these burns are also unavailable in the forest influence zone from 1 June to 15 October, and authorisations are suspended from Maundy Thursday through the following eleven calendar days.
Risk must be checked on the day
Even a valid declaration or permit does not allow a burn when the applicable wildfire alert and conditions prohibit it. The official level is published daily by zone through 112 Comunitat Valenciana. Level 1 does not remove the duty to stop if wind develops, fire behaviour changes or the required supervision and extinguishing measures cannot be maintained.
Before travelling to the plot, the operator should establish whether it lies in the forest influence zone, read the municipality’s burning plan and carry evidence of the relevant procedure. Prunings must not be mixed with plastics, containers or other waste: the exception concerns agricultural plant residues. Questions about the plot, business size or plant-health justification should be resolved with the council or territorial service before burning, not after an inspection.