Cagliari, man found near the newly started fire: "It wasn't me."
Forestry officials stopped the man near the flames that had just broken out along the 195 Racc. It is not clear whether this was a deliberate act or a case of extreme recklessness."It wasn't me." This is what a man in his 40s is said to have said when two Forestry Corps rangers found him around 3:00 PM, observing a fire starting to burn trees and brushwood in a field between Via Campo Scipione and the State Road 195 Racc, near the Santa Gilla train station in Cagliari.
The fire was extinguished before it could gain strength, thanks in part to the timely intervention of two Forestry officers who happened to be passing through the area in a service vehicle. The operations center and the fire department were immediately called, and the fire department responded with two vehicles and a Civil Protection team.
L'uomo fermato dalla Forestale
Fire hoses were trained on the flames while forest rangers kept an eye on the alleged perpetrator. According to reports, the man—who didn't appear to be in good health— was living among the bushes, sleeping on a makeshift bed. It's unclear whether he started the fire intentionally or whether he escaped, having lit it—with very little caution—for reasons that remain unclear.
The investigation is still in its initial stages.