Mañueco blames a "bad cocktail" for the severity of the fires in Castile and Leon

The Chairman of the Junta de Castilla y León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, has defended C that the forest fire extinguishment operation responded "from the very beginning"in the extraordinary plenary of the Courts.

The president has pointed out that the severity of the fires is due toextreme weather conditions\u00A0 "malignant cocktail" at a hearing called to report on the management of the fire wave that has shaken the community, which is also due to human actions.

In his opening speech, Mañueco has called eta to "intensify the debate" and "escape the noise, simplicity and electoral calculus" and stressed that this is not the time to seek political gains, but to implement effective policies to combat the fires eta. "This is not the time to make fire policy, but to make fire policy," he stressed.

In addition, the President has expressed his support for the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, in defending statements in which the serious situation this summer highlighted the difficulties faced by the workers, as well as the deaths, injuries and thousands of people affected by the fires, to whom she has expressed her full commitment.

It should also be noted that the session began witha minute of silence in memory of the three fatalities in the fires in Castilla León. In total,the request for explanations, responsibilities and changesin the environmental policy of the Commission  marked the tone of the day .

Tomorrow, Quiñones resigned.

Meanwhile, social groups, trade unions, neighbourhood associations and parties have concentrated at the gates of the Cortes de Castilla y León.

Under the slogan "Mismanagement, Quiñones resignation!" and at the cry of "Mañueco, Quiñones resignation", the congregates have requested three resignations: Juan Carlos Suarez-Quiñones of the Environmental Advisor, José Ángel Arranz Ingurune Natural Director and Alfonso Fernández Mañueco of the President.

In a manifesto read during the protest, demonstrators have denounced that the Commission has a real prevention policy no and that the response to the fire has been late and precarious, based on "external support" in the face of the "privatisation, inaction and negligence" of the autonomous government.