In 1989, Prof. Lisardo Nunez and his Research Group TERBIPROMAT designed an experimental procedure to evaluate the energy contained in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated in Galicia (NW Spain) using a static bomb calorimeter in an oxygen atmosphere following the procedure described by Hubbard et al. (1958). In the last time, this experimental procedure was developed and improved to use it in different research fields, from energetic evaluation of biomass to the determination of risk indices in forest communities. In this paper so special, we will try to summarize the evolution of this experimental procedure and its achievements, from the design of the sampling phase to the gradual introduction of new techniques as thermal analysis or microcalorimetry. The results obtained in these 17 years show that the experimental procedure as well as the scientific work of Prof. Lisardo Nunez and TERBIPROMAT were successful. This paper is focused on the energetic evaluation of forest communities and the determination of risk indices to prevent and fight against forest fires. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.