Wildfires in Sicily and Sardinia: Hundreds of emergency personnel battle the flames

From the province of Trapani in western Sicily, emergency personnel reported several connected fire fronts that spread rapidly due to the summer heat and strong winds. Fire brigades were also deployed around the clock in the province of Enna and around the municipality of Nissoria in the center of the island.

Fires in other provinces

In the Catania area on the eastern coast, the fire spread to agricultural land, and residents were urged to keep windows and doors closed. Local media showed footage of flames advancing toward residential areas.

At the same time, fires were raging on the neighboring island of Sardinia. Particularly affected was the area around Castronovo di Sicilia, where firefighting efforts were complicated by the hard-to-access sloping terrain.

Sardinia and difficult terrain

The combination of weeks of drought, temperatures above 35 degrees and gusty wind caused the fires to flare up on multiple fronts simultaneously. The weather services had already issued the highest forest fire warning level for large parts of southern Italy.

Residents of several smaller localities were evacuated as a precaution, including elderly people and families with children. The municipalities set up emergency shelters in schools and sports halls.

Appeal to the population

The authorities called on the public to avoid hikes and picnics in forested areas and to report any suspicious smoke immediately via the emergency number. The burning of garden waste is also strictly prohibited in the affected provinces.

The authorities announced that the damage would be mapped in the coming days together with the forestry office and disaster relief. The results are to feed into an initial damage assessment that will provide information on the affected protected areas and on reforestation.

Italy regularly experiences severe wildfires during the summer months, exacerbated by climate change and increasing drought in the Mediterranean region. After initial assessments, the current season is considered one of the most intense in recent years.