The damage caused by last night’s fire in the Giardinello district of Comiso is serious. But the water lifting plant in the Molinello district was saved and the water supply of the city of Vittoria has already restarted.
Hectares of land destroyed, damage to the former Sicula paper mill
The flames affected the entire area downstream a few hundred meters from state road 115, in the stretch between Comiso and Vittoria, destroying carob trees, trees of various types and Mediterranean scrub. The fire also affected the area of the former “Cartiera Sicula”, an industrial archeology settlement that dates back to the 18th century and to the improvements in the area due to the entrepreneurial resourcefulness of the Naselli counts, lords of Comiso. In 1700 the Comiso paper mill was in business, known and known throughout the island
Already seriously damaged in previous years, today what remains of the former paper mill are only some more recent wall structures and almost nothing of the ancient production settlements. The evening fire, which lasted until late at night, did the rest.
Water supply suspended for 4 hours. Inconvenience to Vittoria
Throughout the afternoon and evening, the lifting systems of the Molinello basin, with the wells managed by Siciliacque serving the cities of Vittoria and Gela, were shut down as a precaution and water pumping was suspended. The firefighters and civil protection workers who worked to put out the flames and avoid further damage managed to contain the fire and put out the last outbreaks after midnight. Councilor Cesare Campailla was also present on site throughout the night. Fortunately, it was possible to prevent the flames from reaching the lifting station and avoid worse damage. Around one in the morning, the systems were put back into operation.
The inconveniences for the citizens of Vittoria will continue to exist in the next three-four days. Campailla explained that it will be necessary to restore full functionality and with the right pressure to the pipeline which has not worked for more than eight hours. The situation should return to normal by the weekend.
Photo: repertoire
