Naples: fire on Camaldoli hill, flames and fear in the upper districts

Napoli – The flames have also attacked the Camaldoli hill, one of the largest green lungs in the city. A large forest fire broke out in the early afternoon in the hilly area overlooking the neighborhoods of Soccavo, Pianura and Chiaiano, forcing the authorities to urgently call the Rescue Coordination Center (Ccs) at the Prefecture of Naples.

According to the authorities, the fire is not currently threatening any homes, but the flames are rapidly spreading into the green area, aided by the hot and dry winds of recent days.

The Fire Brigade, two teams from the Metropolitan City of Napoli and a unit of the Sma Campania, with the support of two aircraft in action to contain the fire front.

Prefect Michele di Bari has ordered constant monitoring of the situation, also in light of the worrying increase in fires recorded in the city and province in recent days.

Fire emergency: 48 interventions in 72 hours

In fact, this is not an isolated episode. The Camaldoli fire is only the latest in a long series of fires that have been hitting the province of Naples since the beginning of the week. Between Monday and Wednesday, according to data from the Fire Department, there were at least 48 interventions for brushwood and woodland fires between Naples, Pozzuoli, Marano, Giugliano, Ercolano, Portici and the Vesuvian area.

The phenomenon, fueled by high temperatures, the lack of rain and strong sirocco winds, is becoming a real emergency. Added to this are also suspicions of malicious nature, as already reported in other similar cases in recent years.

The most affected areas
In addition to Camaldoli, other critical areas have been recorded:

in Chiaiano, where in recent days a fire threatened the Colline park;

in Marano, with outbreaks near the Vallone San Rocco;

and in Ercolano, where the flames licked the slopes of Vesuvius, reigniting the nightmare of 2017.

The mayor's appeal and the request for greater prevention

The mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, has launched an appeal to citizens and institutions: "We need an immediate strengthening of surveillance facilities and a more incisive prevention campaign. We cannot afford to stand by helplessly as our green heritage is being destroyed."

In the meantime, the regional Civil Protection has raised the alert level and recommends maximum attention in wooded areas, prohibiting any type of lighting, burning or activity that could cause accidental ignitions.

Waiting for the rain, maximum alert

With temperatures still expected to be above 35 degrees and no rain in sight in the coming days, authorities fear new outbreaks. For this reason, the prefect of Bari has ordered that the Coordination Center remain active until the emergency is over.

In the meantime, firefighters continue to fight the flames. The hope is that the Camaldoli fire does not degenerate and that one of the most important green areas of the Neapolitan capital can be safeguarded.