• The Monte Catillo reserve in Tivoli burns, dozens of people evacuated during the night

  • Fires: large pyre touches the villages of Fara Sabina in the Reatino area

Share

August 13, 2021 - Southern Italy is still burning. The fire is especially besieging Sicily and Calabria where vast fires are continuing to devour the wooded areas.



And with the record temperatures of these days, the alert remains maximum throughout the Peninsula, where three French canadians are also arriving through the European Civil Protection mechanism.



Curcio in Calabria

The head of the National Civil Protection, Fabrizio Curcio, chaired a meeting of the Rescue Coordination Center dedicated to the fire emergency in Reggio Calabria. 



"I did not come here to express opinions on anyone - Curcio said speaking to journalists at the end of the meeting - but to bring operational support and express the closeness of the Prime Minister, and of President Mario Draghi in particular, to a 'area affected also with victims and to

think with the territory on how to get out of this difficult moment

". 



"During the meeting we held - added the head of Civil Protection - the situation was reviewed. It must be said that

we are recording a certain improvement.

the situation of fires, even if the data must be taken with extreme caution. We have tried to better manage this operational phase and we can say that in Calabria all requests for intervention were manageable and covered. For the moment,

the state of national mobilization

has been

declared

. Decision that also allows forces from outside the region to be used and that gives the mayors the opportunity to work on emergency sums ". 



"The mandate I received from the government - said Curcio - is to listen to the territory. After that there will be an evaluation also from a more comprehensive technical point of view. Calabria is very affected, but also other regions, such as Sicily and Sardinia are equally injured. There is a fire campaign that is far from over and there is still a lot to go on. As regards, in particular, Calabria, we have estimated, thanks to satellite images, that

11 thousand hectares of areas were hit by fire

. " 



Flames extinguished in Salento, 45 hectares destroyed

The extinguishing operations of the vast fire that broke out in the late afternoon yesterday on the Adriatic coast road that connects Porto Badisco to Santa Cesarea Terme, in the lower Salento, lasted almost ten hours. It wasn't until around two o'clock last night that the flames were classified as "under control". According to a first estimate, 45 hectares of low Mediterranean scrub are devoured by fire. The Fire Brigade prevented the flames, fueled by the strong north wind, from reaching the houses near the wooded area and two accommodation facilities. From the early hours of the morning, the firefighters and Arif teams are proceeding with the reclamation of the entire area. A canadair is expected to arrive shortly to extinguish the still active outbreaks.To allow water launches, the road connecting Porto Badisco to Santa Cesarea will be temporarily closed for vehicular transit. On-site staff of the State Police, Carabinieri and local police.



Two arsonists stop near Caserta

On the recommendation of some WWF volunteers, the forest police have identified and stopped two subjects intent on starting a fire on Mount Tifata, near Caserta. After reporting to number 1515, a helicopter of the weapon arrived in the area whose intervention was decisive for coordinating the teams on the ground and for reaching the arrest of the two subjects. The WWF Italy - reads the association's note - will continue to support the important action of the police, the Fire Brigade and all the authorities that are engaged in the fight against criminals who are destroying our most important heritage.This episode - it is emphasized - is proof of the importance of the role of environmental protection associations and of volunteers such as the WWF guards who, thanks to the training courses offered by the association, are able to operate effectively on the territory, in support of the bodies. of the state, to combat illegalities. 



In Sicily

In the night between Wednesday and Thursday, new fires broke out in the province of Palermo. Once again, the Madonie mountains were hit. The flames affected the areas of Polizzi Generosa, Castellana Sicula and Geraci. Yesterday morning the Petralie area was also burned, devastated in recent days by dozens of fires that destroyed hectares and hectares of woods and Mediterranean scrub. Firefighters, foresters and civil protection operators have tried to protect businesses and homes ".



In Linguaglossa, in the province of Catania, a wooded area close to the Etna park was devoured by fire. The fire also destroyed some vineyards and farmhouses. Meanwhile in Pergusa, in the province of Enna, the flames have reached the nature reserve. At least six points from which the fire developed, enveloping the entire Pergusine basin. The glow of the fire was also visible in the night from Enna.