LECCE – A vast fire broke out in the afternoon in the countryside surrounding the Cesine natural oasis, in the Vernole countryside, and a second front developed a short distance away, towards the Melendugno marinas, not far from the San Basilio pine forest .
A scorching day to say the least, therefore, and not only because of the temperatures which, in the peak hours, reached 38 degrees. The fires, reported by residents and motorists in transit, have reached the provincial road 366, i.e. the road which, passing right next to the Cesine, then continues on the coast road. Soon the sky darkened, with curls of smoke visible for kilometers away.
On site there was a massive intervention by the firefighters of the provincial command, with several teams available, and the dispatch in the evening of a Canadair to carry out launches from the sky and dampen the flames, in the hope of blocking them before they managed to reach the heart of the protected area of the reserve. This last operation began around 7:30 p.m. As a precaution, a couple of accommodation facilities were also evacuated.
The forestry carabinieri are also at work, gathering information in these hours, to then proceed to draft a report to forward to the Lecce Prosecutor’s Office. It goes without saying that events of this kind are not at all random. Forest fires almost always occur at the hands of man, whether they are of negligent or malicious origin. And it seems that in the case in question there was a precise will to act, also considering the presence of the two fronts.
Unfortunately, in the evening it was learned that the situation has become complex. In the dark, in fact, only ground teams can operate, but the affected area is difficult to penetrate. To take stock of the situation, an emergency meeting was also called at the Prefecture.
Any updates in the next few hours.
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