by InTrieste
Responding to a request from Italy’s national Civil Protection Department, four wildfire volunteer squads from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region departed Saturday morning for southern Italy to help contain a large fire that has been burning for days on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius.
The blaze, which has spread through the Pineta di Terzigno, the Tirone Integral Reserve, and forested areas in the municipalities of Trecase, Ercolano and Ottaviano, has threatened homes, residents and ecologically significant landscapes.
The regional deployment, authorized by a decree signed jointly by Massimiliano Fedriga, president of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Riccardo Riccardi, the regional councillor for civil protection, includes 14 volunteer firefighters and two officials. They are equipped with three specially outfitted pickup trucks, a 5,000-liter water tanker, a logistics van and an off-road vehicle from the regional Civil Protection service.
The operation’s budget of €100,000 will cover logistical and operational expenses.
“Friuli Venezia Giulia confirms its readiness to respond swiftly in the spirit of national solidarity,” Mr. Riccardi said in a statement. “Our volunteers and officials are already on their way to provide tangible support in a complex situation that endangers people, homes and an irreplaceable natural heritage.”
The teams are expected to work alongside local and national authorities for the duration of the emergency.
