Background In recent decades, the Western Iberian Peninsula has been hit by severe forest fires. Along with neighbouring Portugal, the Spanish region of Galicia has been particularly badly affected In fact, it is one most affected areas in the EU in terms of total area occupied by forest. For the period between 1991 and 2004, an average of 10 000 forest fires took place every year, which corresponds to 24,000 hectare on average of affected land annually. The year 2006 was an especially bad one for many European countries, with 6 997 forest fires affecting 93 887 ha of land. This represents a great environmental loss taking years to restore. It is also responsible for millions of metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Moreover, forest fires have great financial implications in terms of both the loss of ecosystem services and the cost of fighting them and restoring the destroyed forestland. Studies on the causes of the forest fires in Spain show that 80% of all fires have a human origin, whether they are intentionally started or the result of the negligent use of fire. Objectives The current project planned to develop and implement an awareness raising and educational campaign on forest fire prevention. It would distribute information on the correct and safe use of fire, as well as raise awareness on the value of forests. The specific objectives of the project were to: Change citizens’ behaviour by encouraging citizens to take responsibility and to actively participate in the protection of forests; Reduce the forest fires caused by human activity; Train the region’s forest fire agents, enhancing their capacity to prevent forest fires; Contribute to the protection of biodiversity by reducing the number of forest fires; Raise awareness on the sustainable use of forests. These goals would be reached through a series of tailored activities aimed at the targeted stakeholders, including training sessions, a bus exhibition, talks, specific activities and the publication of several awareness raising materials. Results During the first two years, the project made very little progress and bureaucratic and financial problems nearly resulted in its abandonment. The situation was solved by including two new associated beneficiaries, the Galician forest associations SILVANUS and ASOFEGA. In the last year of the project, all actions were reactivated and completed – thus most of the project targets were reached but with a reduced impact owing to the project’s short duration. The problem of forest fires continues to be a priority in this region. As part of the project’s educational campaign, 21 workshops were held reaching more than 2 000 students. In addition, a drawing and writing contest was held. A total of 14 workshops were held for forest owners and those in rural areas (545 people attended), while seven workshops were aimed at the general public reaching 409 people. Other activities included a moving exhibition, displayed at 40 locations across Galicia, and the setting up of stands at fairs reaching more than 6 000 people. Moreover, online training on forest fire prevention was given to 127 forest agents in the region. Finally, a range of educational materials were published and articles appeared in the general and specialised press. The project represents a very good first step toward a much-needed change of attitude among the Galician population. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).