Sardinia burns, race against time to stop the flames fueled by the mistral

Burn Sardinia, from north to south. The fires today - more than 40 - have not spared the island and there have been numerous emergencies. These include the one taken in the afternoon between Posada and Siniscola , where some buildings and about 600 people were evacuated: the flames, driven by the wind, reduced large areas to ashes. The firefighting teams are in action both from land and by air (seven operational means, also arrived from the peninsula).

Some roads have been closed, such as the 131 DCN in the section between Siniscola and Olbia.

This morning the Canadairs intervened in Costa Rei : many bathers who fled the beaches. Witnesses say they were surrounded by fire and were evacuated to the beach as the fire threatened a tourist village and destroyed some cars. Elderly people and children were taken away by dinghy.

And then other interventions in Molentargius, in Quartello (Quartu Sant'Elena), in San Sperate .

The damage in the Feraxi area was very serious: 4 farms were devastated, the accumulated forage reserves destroyed. Flames on citrus groves and on a model farm, the destination of numerous school trips every year. The fire threatened some accommodation facilities and it was necessary to evacuate the farmhouses. «There are no absolute certainties but I find it hard to believe that the fires were caused by self-combustion - explained the mayor of Muravera, Salvatore Piu - One thing is certain: the damage is very serious for our area, a wound that will not be easy to heal . We will proclaim a state of calamity but we will not stop here: the Municipality will present a complaint to the Public Prosecutor's Office against unknown persons. Those responsible for this crime must be severely punished."

A restaurant was evacuated in San Giovanni Suergiu .

Again: flames in Ogliastra, in particular in Girasole , and yesterday evening the alarm went off in Gairo, as in San Priamo, in the Sarrabus.

In Sadali a volunteer was taken ill while trying to put out a fire, also in the area of Margine Rosso (Quartu) where a campsite was destroyed a firefighter was injured in his leg: he was first rescued by his colleagues, then entrusted to 118.

Men and vehicles worked all day to try to block the front of the fires, a race against time to stem the fire. The images are frightening and give an idea of the speed of the fires fueled by the mistral.

In the afternoon, the president of the Region Christian Solinas asked the National Civil Protection to strengthen the fire-fighting aerial fleet . He also forwarded the early warning for the activation of the European civil protection mechanism.

The governor expressed harsh condemnation of the perpetrators "of this new criminal massacre committed to the detriment of the Sardinian environmental heritage", and expresses "his closeness to the affected populations, to the administrators, to all the men and women who in these dramatic hours they are doing their utmost to deal with the emergency". Solinas has given a mandate to the Regional Forestry Corps to intensify investigations throughout the territory to identify and bring those responsible to justice.

While the Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, wrote on Twitter: «There are 11 anti-fire planes flying over Sardinia. The Government will not leave the territories affected by the fire alone . I am in contact with the Head of Civil Protection Curcio, they are making every effort to keep citizens safe. Anyone responsible will be punished."

(Unioneonline/ss)

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