Fire prevention in Syracuse: the union ordinance comes into force

With the arrival of the summer season, the mayor of Syracuse, Francesco Italia, and the manager of the Civil Protection Sector signed a union ordinance, which will be in force from 15 May to 31 October 2024: prevention and active fight against fires. Obligations and prohibitions for the year 2024.
In Sicily the phenomenon of forest fires takes on important importance. Among the conditions that favor the initiation and propagation: the high summer temperatures, very often associated with strong winds, such as sirocco and libeccio, which cause a notable lowering of the humidity level of the vegetation, the state of care and cleanliness of the areas persistent, criminal activities that start fires and constitute the most dangerous factor, as well as reckless behavior, such as lighting fires on dry brushwood and pastures.
The summer of 2023 was heavy for the city of Syracuse. Uncultivated land, public and private, in urbanized areas is the main problem, such as the fires that hit Targia, Tremmilia, Epipoli and Villaggio Miano.
The provision, signed yesterday, therefore imposes “obligations and prohibitions”: an absolute ban on the lighting of fires of any kind, a ban on the burning of agricultural and forestry plant residues for the entire period from 15 May to 31 October 2024. even if deriving from mowing, pruning or cleaning on site, as well as other natural agricultural or forestry material, plant waste both deriving from activities carried out by private individuals and agricultural companies, as well as any accumulation. Prohibition, near woods and protected areas, agricultural and/or bushy land, along municipal, provincial and state roads, motorway and railway locations that border land with easily flammable bushes, urban parks and pine forests, falling within the territory municipal.
Obligation to carry out the necessary passive defense works for fire prevention, consisting of cleaning, reclamation and weeding of uncultivated areas, at one’s own expense and at the expense of land invaded by vegetation.