From June 15th, the period of serious risk for summer fires in wooded, bushy, tree-lined and pasture areas will begin throughout the Apulia region, resulting in an alert from the regional forest fire prevention service (AIB).
With union ordinance no. 318/2024, the Municipality of Bitonto has taken steps to integrate obligations and prohibitions deriving from regional and national legislation on the matter, with the aim of preventing the risk of fires due to accidental causes.
The ordinance recalls that “owners, tenants and/or managers in any capacity of rustic land, of uncultivated, abandoned areas or in any case presenting fire risk factors” are obliged to carry out in good time (by June 15, 2024) the necessary passive defense works for the elimination of fire risk, providing for the ploughing, weeding and cleaning of areas of land bordering wooded areas as well as close to homes, railways, roads and motorways, and creating “suitable protection”.
The obligation will be in force until September 30th, the day set by the Puglia Region as the end of the period declared to be at serious fire risk.
An administrative fine of between 175 and 1,350 euros will be applied to violators, without prejudice to further legal provisions. There is also the possibility that the Municipality will automatically carry out the cleaning operations, charging the related costs to the private individual on whom the obligation falls.
In the event of sighting a fire, citizens must promptly contact the Bari Forestry Carabinieri Station Command (telephone: 080.5583518), the Fire Brigade (telephone: 115), the Local Police Command (telephone: 080.3751014) or the Carabinieri Station Command ( 080.3751010).
The specific municipal requirements are accompanied, as mentioned, by the obligations and prohibitions established by the Puglia Region with the Decree of the President of the Puglia Region n. 260 of 7 June 2024, reported in full in the union ordinance.
