Seven fires broke out in Sicily today. Four in the province of Catania, one in Messina, one in Agrigento and one in Caltanissetta which saw foresters and firefighters involved. In the Catania area, in Bronte, in the Ricchiscia district; in Caltagirone in the Terrana district; in Regalna in the Palmintelli district; in Vizzini in the Fontana Fico district. In the Messina area in Pettineo, in the Agrigento area in Realmonte, in the Pergole district, and in the Nisseno area in Niscemi, in the Terrana district.
Fire in Bellolampo, ARPA working to assess air quality
Meanwhile, ARPA technicians and firefighters from the Nbcr unit are at work assessing the air in the area of the Bellolampo landfill and also in the neighborhoods close to the plants and the municipalities of Capaci, Isola delle Femmine and Torretta.
Last year, after the first data, the dioxin alarm was raised. Throughout the night, the firefighters and the Rap company, with the help of earthmoving vehicles from the same company, took steps to put out the various fires by covering the waste with earth. At the moment there are two teams on site who with Rap personnel are continuing the burial and cooling operations. There are no longer any flames but smoke is emerging from the piles of rubbish.
The fire in the night
The Bellolampo landfill in the Municipality of Palermo, managed by Rap, burned all night. The flames were fanned by the sirocco wind. As has happened in recent years, with the heat and wind the system catches fire. At least six teams were involved during the night. The flames from an initial reconstruction affected the frame of a tank being filled. Rap president Giuseppe Todaro commented on the state of the shutdown operations.
“We managed to intervene in time – declared the leader of the Board of Directors of the investee company – Monitoring is done constantly. We have the images and I await a service report on what happened.” Rap manager Massimo Collesano supervises the procedures.
The dioxin alarm
“The fire on the waste embankment is now contained with the earth moved by Rap’s excavators and boomags as well as by water from the fire engines’ lances. The wind blows towards Capaci where the acrid smell of burning has reached. The mayor was invited to issue an ordinance to safeguard the population. Due to the times and methods, there is a clear preference for a malicious origin.” Last year the fire caused a dioxin alert. The fire caused the formation of toxic gases which were found kilometers away from the plant
