Salento is on fire, tourists fleeing shores and villages

Not only in Sardinia: the operations of the firefighters to fight forest fires continue unabated throughout the South.

In Puglia, where 879 rescues have been carried out since Sunday, Salento is concerned. A vast fire is underway in Torre Mozza, the marina of Ugento , in the Ionian part. The flames are attacking the pine forest, firefighters and civil protection are at work on the spot and Canadairs have been requested to be sent.

As a precaution, one of the accommodation facilities, the ancient Rottacapozza farmhouse, was evacuated. Bathers are forced away from the shores, some cars are damaged. It is feared that the fire front, fed by the strong wind, could advance rapidly towards the area of the tourist villages.

The fire, which started from Torre Mozza, advanced by about three to four kilometers, until it reached Lido Marini where another tourist village was evacuated.

THE NUMBERS – Since Sunday, 3,232 interventions have been carried out between Sardinia, Puglia, Sicily and Calabria, by the 9,846 firefighters who took turns in rescue operations in the 4 regions. In Sicily 1,414 interventions were carried out for forest firefighting, the highest number among the regions of the South: teams at work in the Palermo area, in the Altofonte area, and in the province of Catania in Belpasso and Valverde. In Calabria, 727 interventions have been completed. In Crotone teams at work along the SS 106 in Le Castella in Isola di Capo Rizzuto. In Sardinia 212 interventions by the National Corps.

(Unioneonline/D)