Naples – Acres of Mediterranean scrub in ashes, habitats destroyed, biodiversity compromised. Vesuvius continues to burn, and with it, confidence in the ability to prevent and manage a disaster that was foretold.
The disappointment is twofold: because the technologies for rapid and targeted intervention exist, have already been successfully tested, yet they remain stuck in institutional drawers.
A system that chases flames
The emergency is still being addressed with the same old means: Canadairs and helicopters, at exorbitant costs and limited efficiency due to outdated procedures. A Canadair, as reported in a recent Panorama investigation, costs approximately €8.000 per hour (€6.000 more than the estimated number of hours), excluding fuel and maintenance.
During a week of fires , with 12-hour flights a day, the cost of a single aircraft can exceed 670 euros. Yet pilots continue to drop water "on sight," guided by radio communications reminiscent of the 80s.
Two projects ready, but forgotten
Yet in Campania, two projects exist that can reduce costs and dramatically improve service. The first, co-funded by the European Space Agency, is a system capable of creating a 20 km² "telecommunications bubble" even in areas without mobile coverage, thanks to broadband satellite connections and Earth observation data.
It allows for real-time tracking of ground crews and the status of the fire, sending immediate two-way information. It can also integrate DRONENV environmental drones to monitor smoke and conditions, with applications already tested by SMA Campania, the Monti Lattari Regional Park, and the Fire Brigade.
The second is the FB-Eye system, to be mounted on the SEAGULL aircraft, capable of providing Canadairs and Air Tractors with the exact coordinates for water release. This technological "eye" reduces waste, empty flights, and response times.
The Italian paradox
Both systems passed tests and received positive feedback. But once their effectiveness was demonstrated, they were shelved. Thus, while millions of euros are spent every summer chasing the flames, the possibility of extinguishing them before they become uncontrollable remains only a hypothesis.
The inevitable question is: how much has been invested in prevention in recent years? Why do people still communicate via walkie-talkie in fire-stricken areas? And why don't Canadairs have a computerized targeting system, when the technology for such a system exists and is readily available?
Perhaps today's Vesuvius is just another page in a familiar story: a country mourning its forests in smoke, thanking rescuers for their courage, but struggling to make the decisive step from reaction to prevention.
The images are always the same: Canadairs and helicopters performing spectacular maneuvers to drop tons of water "on sight," guided by radio communications from the ground. It works, but it costs. A lot.
THE CANADAIR ACCOUNT
Hourly cost: €8.000 (€6.000 in addition to the estimated number of hours)
Flight hours in 7 days: 12 per day = 84 hours
Total cost for one aircraft: over €670.000
Helicopters, ground crews, firefighters, and cleanup operations push the figure into the millions.
THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN
How much has the Vesuvius National Park invested in prevention in recent years?
Why do emergency communications still take place via walkie-talkie in emergency areas?
Why aren't Canadairs equipped with computerized targeting systems, when the technology is available and tested?
Without prevention, the damage accumulates, and each summer becomes more vulnerable than the last. Today's Vesuvius risks being just another chapter in a tragedy waiting to happen: that of a country that applauds the rescuers and is moved by the images of the devastation, but has yet to find the courage—or the political will—to make the leap from reaction to prevention.
The article's topic is important and clearly highlights the problems. But I wonder if the technologies aren't really being used because there's no money or because of bureaucratic problems within the institutions.
It's true that fires are a serious problem, but the lack of concrete action is frustrating. It's unclear why we continue to use outdated methods instead of adopting modern, proven solutions.