Forest fire prevention: 'Results of the 2022 Fire Prevention Campaign and project proposals for the 2023 Campaign presented'
“Very few fires in 2022, ready to continue investing in safety and prevention for 2023”
Yesterday, the results of the 2022 forest fire prevention campaign in the Vesuvius National Park were officially presented, obtained thanks to the devices put in place and the collaboration of all the competent institutions: Campania Region, Vesuvius National Park Authority, Metropolitan City, Campania Regional Fire Department and Naples Provincial Command, Carabinieri Forestali Vesuvius National Park Department - Biodiversity department, Civil Protection of the municipalities of the Park.
Also in 2022, from the first days of July until the end of September, 2 stations were set up in the Park area, in Terzigno (at the SAPNA site, ex SARi2) and in Ercolano (Royal Vesuvius Observatory), with two teams of 5 VVF units equipped with tankers and Jeeps with 500 blitz tanks for emergency interventions even in areas that are difficult to access. The presence of the VVF in the Park area made it possible to reduce intervention times, generally within half an hour of the first reports. The interventions of the VVF were not limited only within the boundaries of the Park, in some cases they also intervened in those parts of the municipal territory outside the Park. The work of the firefighters was not limited only to interventions to combat fires but also to surveillance and control along the access roads to the park, and the main local roads.
The data, for the fifth year, consolidate the positive trend of 2021, confirming and consolidating that the institutional synergy implemented represents a good practice that has borne the desired fruit, drastically reducing the phenomenon of forest fires in the territory of the Vesuvius National Park.
During the entire period of maximum risk, only 12 forest fires occurred, of which 9 in the municipality of Somma Vesuviana alone, for a total of 23 hectares (source: Civil Protection of the Campania Region). There were 8 aerial interventions.
The fires mainly affected the municipalities of Somma Vesuviana, Terzigno and Pollena Trocchia.
Numbers that confirm the positive contribution of the two fixed units in the park area, which by reducing intervention times have significantly reduced the burnt surfaces.
The presentation was attended by: the Institutional Leaders of the Vesuvius National Park Authority, the Campania Region - Civil Protection, the Fire Brigade, the Carabinieri Forestali department of the Vesuvius National Park.
Important was, once again, the contribution of the Carabinieri Forestali – Vesuvius National Park Department who deal with the control of the territory also through the use of the video surveillance system created by the Park Authority. With them we took stock of the situation on the aspect of control of the territory and the repression of the phenomenon.
Finally, during the event, the new project proposals for the fire prevention campaign of the next 2023 season were illustrated, which will aim at a further investment in technology by the Park Authority with a dynamic monitoring project of the danger financed by the Ministry of the Environment.
In 2022, the collaboration with the Civil Protection and its recognized territorial branches was further consolidated.
Even from the point of view of communication and awareness, we continued along the lines of what was put in place in previous years. In fact, the awareness campaigns and greater information for citizens, which increased collaboration with the institutions in combating the phenomenon of fires.
Finally, during the meeting, an experimental project on research and forecasting activities in defense against forest fires funded by the Ministry of Ecological Transition with the “Parks for Climate” program for the 2020 year was illustrated.
The project involves the study and observation of the areas at greatest risk of fire based on the interpretation of satellite orthophotos on a fortnightly basis with the meeting of ground data obtained from the use of sensors that measure the aridity of the soil in a certain area also comparing them with meteorological data and parameters such as rainfall, humidity, pressure, temperature, sunshine, etc.).
In this way it is possible to understand which parts of protected territory are at greatest risk of fires.
The project promoted by the Park is conducted by CUGRI (university consortium for major risks of the University Federico II of Naples and the University of Salerno.
“The model tested in the Vesuvius National Park based on close and organic collaboration with the Fire Brigade – declares the Extraordinary Commissioner of the Vesuvius National Park Authority Agostino Casillo – can now be considered a winner. This model is now followed by many institutions that are on the front lines in the fight against forest fires. The timeliness of interventions and the protection of the territory with expert and professionally trained operators - adds the Extraordinary Commissioner - are the winning weapon against fires. The data of the AIB 2022 campaign confirm the positive trend that began in 2018 and encourage us to continue in this direction.
I am fully satisfied with the results obtained this year, these confirm that the "choral" work, which underlies the commitment of many men who with their work actively defend the Vesuvius Park, has almost eliminated the fires for the second consecutive year.
Obviously – continues Casillo – This does not mean that we have defeated the arsonists but that we have taken the right path and for this reason we are already working to improve and implement the devices to be ready once again for the next 2023 season.”
Meanwhile – concludes Casillo – we have already started, by entrusting CUGRI-University of Salerno and Naples, the drafting of the new AIB Plan, and forestation interventions are about to start following the guidelines developed by the University of Agriculture aimed at reconstituting the forest heritage damaged in 2017.”
“For the year 2022 – declares Dr. Claudia Campobasso – Head of the Civil Protection Staff of the Campania Region – on the fire front, the balance for the Vesuvius National Park is substantially positive, but this must not make us lower our guard.
Thanks to the close coordination - added Dr. Campobasso - with the Fire Brigade and the Forestry Carabinieri of the Vesuvius National Park, based fundamentally on prevention and active fighting, we have managed to drastically reduce the number of forest fires. These results are the fruit of an activity that sees us engaged all year round and not only in periods of maximum alert. The National Parks of Campania, Vesuvius and Cilento enjoy the utmost attention because they are areas of high naturalistic value.
In these years – concludes Dr. Campobasso – as Regional Civil Protection we have invested a lot in the training of volunteers involved in Civil Protection and it must be said that their contribution has been decisive in achieving these results in Forest Fire Fighting. Volunteering represents a very important resource for these activities also given their knowledge of the territory.
The collaboration path with the Vesuvius National Park Authority – declares Emanuele Franculli, Director of the Campania Regional Command of the Fire Brigade – undertaken in the aftermath of the devastating fire of 2017, with the 2022 season, it has given the best results: the fires have halved and have caused almost negligible damage to the forest heritage.
This is thanks to the timely interventions made possible by the presence of the two patrols that operate within the perimeter of the Park.
This result must be claimed as the result of extraordinary work done on the territory – adds Director Franculli – It must also be acknowledged that this result was achieved thanks to the very close collaboration between all the forces involved.
We did not limit ourselves to just intervening on the fires – concludes Director Franculli – but together with the Carabinieri Forestali and the Civil Protection volunteers we patrolled the territory acting as a deterrent, discouraging illegal behaviour from the outset and therefore preventing disasters.
For the 2022 season, the Vesuvius National Park represents a positive exception to the national panorama.
A model that needs to be implemented and multiplied.”
“The AIB Vesuvius model – declares Col. Angelo Marciano Commander of the Vesuvius National Park Carabinieri Department – it is the result of a synergic work between different forces applied to the Vesuvian territory taking into account its peculiarities.
On the fire front, 2016 and 2017 were unforgettable years, but since 2017 – adds Col. Marciano – we have started to climb back up the slope thanks to the work that we have all put in. We can say that we are facing a positive trend that sees fires decreasing year after year in the territory of the Vesuvius National Park.
Collaboration between all actors involved in fighting forest fires has been consolidated and everyone has done their duty.
The 2022 AIB season started amidst a thousand worries– concludes Col. Marciano – due to drought and particularly hot weather conditions, but the protection of the territory, prevention and awareness-raising activities and the role of volunteers have borne good fruit.
The trend shows that the work undertaken in the aftermath of 2017 is yielding excellent results which are reflected in the low number of fires recorded.”
Article published on 27 October 2022 - 16:45
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