What environmental damage are the fires causing in Sardinia?
Over 20 thousand hectares of forests have been destroyed and according to Coldiretti it will take 15 years to reforest the area
Firefighters in action in the province of Oristano (Photo: Firefighters) It will take at least 15 years to rebuild the woods and the vegetation destroyed by the flames that have been devouring Sardinia for more than two days now. It is when communicated by Coldiretti following a monitoring conducted to assess the environmental damage suffered by the island, while fires have already razed over 20 thousand hectares of vegetation and forced 1500 people to evacuate their homes.More than 7,500 people and 20 aircraft were employed to extinguish the fires, whose origins are still unknown, which broke out in the area of the Montiferru massif, on the western side of Sardinia. Woods, fields, companies, homes and even the millennial olive tree Sa tanca manna, one of the oldest trees on the island and an example of botanical archeology, were destroyed on the weekend between 24 and 25 July. The fires started on the night between Friday and Saturday in the wooded area of the Montiferru massif, and were then fueled by the wind and high temperatures until they reached the coast, in the tourist resort of Porto Alabe. Other fires of lesser intensity then hit other areas of Sardinia, from north to south, in particular in the province of Sassari, where the flames destroyed over 150 hectares of countryside.
The president of the region, Christina Solinas, has declared a state of emergency, asking the government to immediately allocate resources to support the affected communities, drawing if necessary directly from the funds provided for by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Solinas also asked for the intervention of the European Union, which responded by sending 4 firefighting aircraft, 2 of which Canadair, amphibious aircraft capable of carrying over 6000 liters of water, filling the tank in just 12 seconds. To date, a total of 20 aircraft are operating in the area, including 12 helicopters and 8 Canadair.
Fortunately, no one has been injured or killed by the flames, but the environmental damage denounces a true natural catastrophe. According to Coldiretti, "holm oaks, downy oaks and centuries-old cork trees have gone up in smoke in areas where all traditional human activities will also be prevented" such as pastoralism, due to the "total destruction of the herbs and essences that are the basis of the feeding of sheep and cows ". The association representing the agricultural sector then pointed the finger at the action of the arsonists, recalling that 60% of the island's fires are estimated to be of voluntary origin.
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