Wildfires in Sardinia and Cyprus

Wildfires have broken out in southern Europe: firefighting teams are battling dozens of fires in Sardinia and Cyprus. In many cases, authorities suspect arson.

Over the weekend, several forest and brush fires broke out on the Italian Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The areas around Nuoro in northeastern central Sardinia and Cagliari in the south are affected. More than 40 fires were reported on Sunday on the second largest Italian island.

The situation has calmed down on Monday morning, according to a firefighter cited by the news agency dpa. However, strong winds keep reigniting the fires.

Evacuated houses and campsites

According to the newspaper “La Repubblica”, hundreds of people had to spend the night in emergency shelters until Monday morning. The northeastern and southern parts of the holiday island are particularly affected. Flames are raging across the entire island. Houses, holiday apartments, and larger buildings in some areas have been evacuated as a precaution. Hundreds of people have had to leave their homes.

A campsite near the Sardinian capital Cagliari had to be evacuated due to the approaching flames. According to the news agency dpa, numerous minor explosions occurred there, likely caused by gas bottles. At another campsite in the south of the Mediterranean island, around 300 people were taken to other holiday accommodations by inflatable boats due to the approaching fire. However, they were able to return later.

According to the Coldiretti agricultural association, agricultural businesses have been affected – pine forests and citrus plantations have been destroyed, among other things.

Authorities suspect arson

The strong and hot winds are making the work of the emergency services difficult in some places. Firefighting planes from Rome and Olbia are currently in use. Authorities believe that a large number of the fires were caused by arson.

According to media reports, the Italian government intends to pass a decree in a cabinet meeting today to increase penalties for arson.

Forest and bush fires in Cyprus as well

In addition to Sardinia, Cyprus is also battling forest and bush fires. Since Sunday, the flames have spread northwest of the port city of Limassol, but have been brought under control for now.

According to initial estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture, up to ten square kilometers of bush and forest areas near the town of Alassa have been destroyed by the flames, as reported by the state-owned Cypriot radio. No people have been injured, but livestock and stables have fallen victim to the flames.

According to media reports, the flames keep flaring up despite the firefighting efforts of numerous helicopters and fire trucks – and strong winds expected in the afternoon could further fuel the fire.

International aid for the island republic

The island republic has already received numerous offers of assistance: Greece has sent two firefighting planes. The administration of the Turkish-occupied northern half of the island has also offered assistance to the south. Israel and Lebanon have also pledged their support. However, according to the spokesperson for the Cypriot fire department on state radio, this has not been necessary at this time.

In Cyprus, as in many countries in southeastern Europe, it has been very dry and hot for weeks. When fires break out, the strong winds that prevail in the region at this time of year are a problem: they can quickly turn small fires into massive wildfires within hours.