The fire on Monte Faeta in the Italian region of Tuscany is 70 percent under control. According to the Italian authorities, most of the more than 3,500 evacuated people were able to return to their homes for the night on Friday evening, RAI television reported on Saturday. A forest fire broke out in the mountains between the cities of Lucca and Pisa. It is believed to have been caused by a farmer who wanted to burn the branches of olive trees in the Lucca area at the foot of the hill.
According to a press release from the local authorities, three Canadair planes and one helicopter were used to extinguish the fire. 19 fire engines also intervened. Firefighters used drones equipped with thermal cameras to monitor the fire in the areas between Lucca and Santa Maria del Giudice and in the municipalities of San Giuliano Terme and Asciano. The fire has so far destroyed more than 700 hectares of forest cover. The army and the police participated in the evacuation operations.
The forest fire mainly affected the area around the village of San Giuliano Terme. There, several hundred people had to spend the night on Saturday away from home – with relatives and acquaintances, but also in gyms. According to RAI television, the scale of the fire is reminiscent of the Monte Serra fire near Faeta in September 2018, which destroyed around 1,200 hectares of forest and vegetation. Forest fires are common in Italy, but they usually occur during the summer months. However, the fire season is starting earlier due to rising temperatures caused by climate change.
Tuscany with its capital Florence is one of the most popular holiday regions in Italy.
