As part of the institutional tasks of the Forestry Carabinieri and following the agreement signed with the Puglia Region, the commitment to combating the phenomenon of forest fires in the regional territory continues for the 2024 season.
With Decree of the President of the Puglia Regional Council n. 260 of 7 June 2024, the period of serious danger for forest fires was established from 15 June to 30 September.
The Carabinieri Forestry Units and Carabinieri National Park Units located throughout the territory will be employed in the prevention and repression of the phenomenon, through an oriented gravitation of patrolling services, supervision of the implementation of prevention measures and compliance with prohibitions, such as lighting fires and burning plant residues, as well as surveillance, making use of the aid of technological and IT means.
Surveillance activity will be intensified in the presence of weather and climate conditions favorable to the spread of forest fires and in the areas of greatest naturalistic and environmental value, in the Gargano National Park and in state and regional reserves.
The presence of Forest Carabinieri units also at the Permanent Unified Operations Room (SOUP) of the Civil Protection of the Puglia Region will allow real-time information osmosis on the onset, nature and evolution of fires, guaranteeing the immediate carrying out of collection activities and investigative, for the purposes of understanding the triggering methods and identifying the possible perpetrators of the crime.
The data on the perimeters of the areas affected by the fire, carried out by the Forestry Carabinieri through on-site inspections, supported by high-performance satellite image processing techniques, will be made available to the municipal administrations, in order to verify the state of implementation and updating , pursuant to art. 10 of Law no. 353 of 2000, of the ‘Cadastre of forest stands affected by fire’ in the Municipalities and the possible improper use of such areas.
The collaboration between the Puglia Region and the Forestry Carabinieri was renewed for promotion, education and dissemination activities on environmental legality aimed at raising public awareness regarding the conservation of forestry heritage and biodiversity. From this perspective, the collaboration of the individual citizen in promptly reporting the sighting of forest fires to the environmental emergency number 1515, active throughout the national territory, 24 hours a day, is of fundamental importance.
