The disaster on the slopes of Vesuvius has led to the closure of the famous volcano to tourists. On Sunday, Italian firefighters and military personnel continued to battle a large forest fire that engulfed the slopes of the mountain near Naples. All tourist routes to the volcano have been temporarily closed due to the danger of the fire spreading, according to Italian media reports.
Italian authorities have not ruled out arson as the cause of the fire. According to them, the “apocalyptic” scale of the forest fire may indicate that it was deliberately set.
More than 150 firefighters worked around the clock to contain the spread of the flames, which covered an area up to 3,000 metres above sea level. The fire was visible from Naples, located about 20 kilometres from the volcano.
Gioacchino Madonna, mayor of Massa di Somma and head of the network of municipalities in the Vesuvius area, said that “arson or negligence are certainly the main theories behind what happened.” He added that the authorities must establish all the circumstances of the incident, including through the use of CCTV cameras installed in the park.
Investigators are expected to examine CCTV footage and other evidence once the fire is under control.
Francesco Ranieri, mayor of Terzigno, a town near the volcano, called the incident “an apocalypse.”
Civil defence volunteers from all over Italy have arrived to help fight the blaze. More than 12 fire crews, including reinforcements from Tuscany and the Marche region in central Italy, are working at the scene.
Hundreds of local residents spent Saturday night outdoors, but no casualties or injuries have been reported so far. Francesco Ranieri noted that the wind is intensifying the spread of the fire down the slopes of the volcano. Despite fears for residential areas, no evacuation has been carried out yet.
Raffaele De Luca, president of the Vesuvius National Park, expressed concern about the situation and said that the main task is to preserve the natural heritage and ensure the safety of those who live and work near the volcano.
The fire has destroyed more than 500 hectares of forest, causing devastating damage to agricultural land, forests and biodiversity. Tourist trails have been closed and there are fears for the inhabitants of the towns of Ottaviano and San Giuseppe Vesuviano.
Italian Civil Protection Minister Sebastiano Musumeci issued an order mobilising 23 civil protection volunteer groups from across the country. Around 100 volunteers joined firefighters on Sunday. The civil protection service also requested the deployment of the army to ensure access to roads and adequate water supplies.
Six planes and four regional helicopters were called in to fight the fire and try to control the expanding front, which stretches for almost two kilometres around the Vesuvius National Park and between the towns of Terzigno and Boscosoale.
In 2017, a fire, believed to have been started deliberately, swept through the Vesuvius National Park, causing extensive damage to the forest around the mountain and triggering a severe national drought.
“We have very sad memories of 2017,” Francesco Ranieri said. “We must find the strength to rise again and rejuvenate this area, which is very beautiful, because, unfortunately, I believe that criminal interests are seeking to destroy it.”
The national environmental organisation Legambiente published national data on Sunday showing that 56,000 hectares, or nearly 140,000 acres, were destroyed by fires across Italy between January and the end of July this year.
In southern France, firefighters contained a massive forest fire that caused significant damage, but local authorities are concerned that the grueling heat and dry conditions could reignite the blaze as a new heatwave sweeps across the Mediterranean region.
The fire swept through the southern department of Aude at the height of the summer tourist season, killing one person and injuring several others. According to Christophe Magnier, head of the region’s fire brigade, the fire is still burning across an area of 16,000 hectares. He said the fire would not be completely extinguished for several weeks.
