Land of Fires: The Prefect of Naples visits the joint control room.

The Prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, visited the joint control room dedicated to the Land of Fires, located at the Campania Regional Carabinieri Forestry Command in Naples. The facility, active since October 2025, is a hub for monitoring and coordinating prevention activities against illegal waste dumping and burning in the Campania region.

During the visit, the Prefect met with law enforcement and fire department officials and staff involved in the 24-hour operations room, which integrates drone footage, cameras, and field reports for timely intervention. Among those present were the Commander of the Carabinieri Forestali, the Naples Police Chief, the Provincial Commander of the Guardia di Finanza, the Regional Director of the Fire Brigade, and other institutional representatives.

The facility is being upgraded with the installation of new operating stations, a high-definition LED wall, and the implementation of artificial intelligence tools, thanks also to the support of the Special Commissioner for Terra dei Fuochi. These improvements aim to improve surveillance capacity and the timeliness of interventions in the area.

Data for 2026 show a marked increase in enforcement actions: nearly 450 production sites seized, approximately 900 people reported, and 52 arrests overall during the year. Between July 1 and August 9, 2026 alone, operations resulted in the control of 95 sites, with 43 seizures, 149 reports, 2 arrests, 145 vehicles seized, €700 in administrative fines, and 21 licenses revoked.

Despite adverse weather conditions, an estimated 15% decrease in waste fires has been recorded, attributed to targeted planning and intensive use of the control room, which has managed nearly 700 interventions since the beginning of the year. The facility is also connected to numerous institutional portals for integrated monitoring and collaborates with local police forces, which benefit from ministerial funding to strengthen their presence in the area.

Recent interventions include the rapid response to a fire involving a recycling center in San Giuseppe Vesuviano, the seizure of burning materials from the Carrafiello Roma camp in Giugliano, and the operation against an illegal body shop in the Giugliano area. The Metropolitan Police also identified three illegal sites for the recovery and processing of iron between Pozzuoli and Piscinola.

These results confirm the strategic role of the joint control room as the cornerstone of the integrated model for preventing and combating environmental crimes in the Land of Fires, in line with national and regional directives for land protection and public health.