Punta Molentis, a letter from hell: "Saved thanks to the help of swimmers, no emergency plan: unacceptable."

He introduces himself and thanks "everyone who worked to help, especially the firefighters." But Claudio Peru, a Sardinian dentist working in London, wrote to the editorial staff of L'Unione Sarda (for those interested: redazioneweb@unionesarda.it and via WhatsApp at 335 154 6482 ) primarily to recount how things unfolded at Punta Molentis. He was there with his family while all hell broke loose. This is an important testimony, "without any polemical intent," from someone who witnessed how hundreds of people were saved. And who experienced firsthand what was missing. He explains this because " fires in Sardinia are no longer exceptional events, but unfortunately endemic. Treating them as unforeseen, unforeseen events is no longer acceptable."

Here is his reflection

***

My name is Claudio Peru and I am writing as one of the many bathers evacuated from Punta Molentis beach during the serious fire of July 27, 2025. I was there with my family and, like many others, we experienced moments of great fear and confusion.

First of all, I'd like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who worked hard to help: lifeguards, kiosk staff, volunteers, and especially the firefighters, who worked with courage and dedication to ensure our safety. Without their intervention, the consequences could have been far more serious.

What we experienced was not just an environmental emergency, but a concrete risk to human life. My intent is not to be polemical, but to offer constructive reflection, so that events of this kind, which are increasingly frequent, are managed with greater preparedness.

Fires in Sardinia are no longer exceptional events, but unfortunately endemic. Treating them as unforeseen, unforeseen events is no longer acceptable. At Punta Molentis, a restricted-access beach with an average cost of about €30 per family per day and a constant presence of hundreds of bathers each day, it's reasonable to expect a minimum level of organization and safety, especially given the abundance of financial resources.

During the emergency, we encountered serious critical issues:

• No audible alarm or siren to signal the presence of fire;
• No evacuation plan known to lifeguards or visible to swimmers;
• No communication between the beach and the parking lot;
• No meeting point, nor official reference figures;
• There are no accessible primary medical facilities, not even a clearly identifiable first aid kit.

The result was total chaos.

Some took refuge on the rocks or in the sea, others wandered without directions, guided by uncontrolled voices. One woman had an asthma attack, another was pregnant and had to wade through rocks and smoke. No one gave us directions on where to go, nor which was the safest area, given the wind and the toxic cloud generated by the burning cars.

The greatest danger was not only the fire, but the thick, acrid smoke that enveloped us, making it impossible to breathe.

We were saved not by an emergency plan, but by the spontaneous cooperation of the lifeguards. We shared water, helped those in need, and sought medicine for those in need. But all of this was the result of improvisation, not preparation.

I want to emphasize that the lifeguards and operators did their best with the tools available. But it's clear that the Municipality of Villasimius and local authorities need to seriously rethink safety management on busy beaches.

Punta Molentis has only one access. If it's blocked—as it has been—the beach becomes a trap.

The Municipality earns significant sums every day thanks to tourism: it's fair to ask where these funds are reinvested. It's time to allocate part of these resources to:

• Visual and audible alarm systems;
• Clear and multilingual evacuation plans;
• Accessible first aid supplies
• Targeted staff training;
• A coordinator present on site, connected with authorities and law enforcement.

The risk is that, since there were no deaths or injuries this time, we'll continue pretending nothing happened. But the truth is that hundreds of lives were put in danger because no procedures were in place to keep people safe.

This must never happen again.

I hope this testimony can serve to open a constructive and serious dialogue, and that we can finally learn something from this experience.