by InTrieste
Regional officials in Friuli Venezia Giulia said Saturday that the emergency response to the devastating wildfire on Monte Amariana had demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated aerial firefighting, as they released new figures showing that nearly 3 million liters of water were dropped to contain the blaze.
The assessment came after a helicopter survey over the burned mountains of Carnia and the areas struck by severe storms the previous day, as regional authorities began shifting from emergency response to damage evaluation.
Riccardo Riccardi, the regional councilor responsible for Civil Protection, said the fire — ignited by lightning during a period of extreme heat and drought — could only have been fought from the air because of the mountain’s steep cliffs and inaccessible ravines.
“The geography made ground operations impossible in many sectors,” Riccardi said after meeting local mayors, firefighters, forestry officials and Civil Protection leaders in Tolmezzo. “The aerial survey confirmed that the strategy adopted was the only viable one.”
According to the Regional Civil Protection Agency, helicopters operated by the region flew 179 hours and 41 minutes, carrying out 3,154 water drops. Additional support from the Italian state’s fleet, including Canadair aircraft and Army helicopters, contributed another 263 sorties, releasing about 969,000 liters of water.
Slovenia also joined the operation through the European cross-border emergency system, deploying two Air Tractor aircraft between Aug. 14 and 17. The planes completed 233 drops, adding nearly 700,000 liters of water to the firefighting effort.
On the ground, 144 volunteers from 24 municipal groups and associations worked alongside the regional forestry corps, contributing 333 volunteer workdays with 47 vehicles.
Stefano Zannier, the regional councillor for forestry and agriculture, said the wildfire highlighted the growing challenges posed by climate change. While praising the coordinated response, he acknowledged that aerial resources alone would likely not have extinguished the fire without the rainfall that eventually helped suppress it.
“The combination of exceptional heat, drought and powerful thermal currents created extremely difficult operating conditions,” Zannier said.
Storm damage across the region
The helicopter inspection later shifted to communities hit by violent thunderstorms on Friday.
In San Giorgio della Richinvelda, strong winds toppled two lighting towers at the Domanins sports field, while the remaining towers were damaged and the entire facility was closed for safety reasons. More than half the trees in a nearby public park were uprooted, and fallen branches blocked roads throughout the municipality.
Agricultural losses were also significant, with anti-hail nets torn away, vineyards damaged and several farm buildings partially unroofed. Private homes sustained roof damage, while cleanup operations continued across the area.
Officials also visited Lignano Sabbiadoro, where beachfront facilities and seaside structures suffered wind damage during the storm. Riccardi said the regional government was prepared to provide financial assistance for repairing public infrastructure and supporting affected businesses if necessary.
While the storm caused localized destruction, Zannier warned that the broader agricultural threat remains the prolonged drought and record-breaking summer heat. Regional authorities will begin surveying non-irrigated farmland in the coming days to measure crop losses and determine whether to seek extraordinary national assistance for farmers.
