Response to 'Letter to the editor regarding Rodrigues et al. 2020: Is COVID-19 halting wildfires in the Mediterranean? Insights for wildfire science under a pandemic context'

摘要

In our work, we presented a preliminary analysis of the potential impacts in wildfires of the societal and public health response to COVID-19 during the lockdown period (Rodrigues et al., 2020). We focused on the winter-spring period, when the lockdown was decreed, and on the Mediterranean region, where human activity is known to be responsible for most of fire activity (Costafreda-Aumedes et al., 2018). Note that at the time we conducted the analysis no information was available about fire activity in summer months so our findings must be properly framed in the March-May period. In that regard, the commentary by Resco de Dios refers to an 'online first' version of the manuscript, but in the proof editing process we already suggested a slight modification of the title to help framing our work "Has COVID-19 halted winter-spring wildfires in the Mediterranean? Insights for wildfire science under a pandemic context'. The question addressed in our Short Communication is not whether the year 2020 had higher or lower fire activity. It is to what extent lockdowns and curfews could halt (in the sense of interrupting) wildfire activity when in place, but warning about the forthcoming undesired effects of concatenating successive seasons with reduced fire activity (regardless it comes from lack of ignition sources or unfavorable environmental conditions for fire ignition and spread). That being said, the main points Resco de Dios is raising relate to summer fire activity so we find his answer complementary to our results but cannot see it as a replica, as it does not relate to our analyses or statements.