Heavy fires have been raging for days in the northern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The flames in the karst area on the border with Slovenia are still not under control. Firefighters from Udine, Trieste and Gorizia, supported by planes and helicopters, are working to put out the fires. Krone editor Werner Pöchinger was surprised by the fires during his vacation. “The clouds of smoke kept getting bigger, turning orange and darker at the same time, and gradually became terrifying,” he says.
Due to the imminent danger, tourists at the campsite in Sistiana near Trieste have taken advice from reception. But there was quite a bit of carelessness there: “It’s there in Slovenia after all,” said a receptionist. There is currently no danger, “nothing should be done until the alarm goes off,” said another. The region had already declared a state of emergency because of the fires.
“We hope for the best”
For days, fire-fighting planes have been flying over the campsite towards the mountains. They absorb water in the sea near Trieste (see video above). “We hope for the best, but it is dangerous. The fire-fighting planes have been flying since Sunday, hopefully they can make a difference,” said a cashier from Duino Castle by the sea. Hundreds of hectares of forest have already been destroyed by the fires. The smoke has forced authorities to monitor air quality in the region.
Large clouds of smoke over the Friulian karst area, where the fires have been raging since Monday:
As the situation became increasingly precarious on Wednesday afternoon, the journalist from “Krone” decided to leave the campsite in Sistiana near Trieste early, while other holidaymakers – seemingly careless – just arrived. He quickly packed up his mobile home and drove towards Caorle, away from the fires. He dodged it via the SS14 because the A4 motorway has been partially closed since Tuesday, which also caused major problems for Austrian holidaymakers. The forest fires near Bibione, which were also seen in Caorle, have now been extinguished.
Flames approaching houses
A fire in the Doberdo del Lago municipality in Trieste province forced 300 people to be rescued as flames approached homes. People spent the night with family and friends. Some buildings and the local cemetery were damaged by the flames. A nearby refugee camp also had to be evacuated. The cause of the serious fires is still unknown and an investigation is underway. In Italy and Slovenia, 350 hectares of forest were destroyed.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
