Naples – After days of non-stop work, the massive fire raging through Vesuvius National Park has been declared extinguished. This was announced by the Rescue Coordination Center, which met yesterday afternoon at the Prefecture in Naples at the request of Prefect Michele di Bari.
The meeting was attended by the mayors of the affected municipalities—Trecase, Terzigno, Boscotrecase, Ottaviano, and San Giuseppe Vesuviano—as well as representatives of the Fire Brigade, national and regional Civil Protection, law enforcement, and competent authorities.
According to aerial reconnaissance and satellite imagery, there are no active fires. As a precaution, a permanent presence has been established until tomorrow afternoon, with a Fire Extinguishment Operations Manager (DOS) on standby and a helicopter ready to take off in case of further critical situations.
The first reclamations
The first post-fire cleanup operations began today, with ground teams clearing burned material and controlling any residual smoke. A total of 100 forest firefighters are still on the ground, supported by regional aircraft for monitoring.
Campania Regional Vice President and Environment Councillor Fulvio Bonavitacola conducted an inspection together with the Director General of the Regional Civil Protection Agency, Italo Giulivo: "The situation appears to be returning to normal," he stated, "thanks to the extraordinary work of the Civil Protection Department, firefighters, the army, law enforcement, the Campania Regional Health Authority (SMA), and volunteers."
Mobile columns returning
Given the improvement, starting tomorrow, the national mobile convoys and Civil Protection Department teams will leave Vesuvius, while maintaining local surveillance, especially ahead of the mid-August holiday. Municipal police have been asked to step up surveillance to prevent further fires.
The institutions' thanks
The Prefect of Bari expressed his "heartfelt thanks" to all those who contributed to managing the emergency, emphasizing the institutional collaboration between the Region, Prefecture, Municipalities, the Park Authority, and specialized units that arrived from various parts of Italy after the declaration of a state of national mobilization.
Chronicles of Campania
Amalfi Coast: A morning of fire between Maiori and Tramonti: Canadair and helicopters in action.
It was a morning of intense work for the firefighting teams on the Amalfi Coast. The fires have been active since just last night…
It's good to know that the fire has been contained and there are no active sources. However, I wonder if the cleanup operations will be sufficient to prevent future fires, given that the situation can change rapidly.