The binoculars focused on the San Giovannello valley. Many green areas, many access routes to the highest points of the hills above Messina. The men of the Municipal group of civil protection volunteers which support the activities coordinated by Regional department and from Forestry for the Fire prevention. They control the territory trying to “anticipate” the trigger of those fires which, also thanks to the strong wind like yesterday’s, risk expanding without control. It is now late in the afternoon, the favorite timetable by the pyromans to start the flames, the mistral pulls strong. “They are the best conditions for them, more dangerous for us,” says one of them.
The sighting points, they are called, are no longer static but dynamic.
Together with the volunteers we stayed at the Kart race field in San Filippo from where both the north and those south areas can be seen on the San Filippo and Zafferia valley. There are several spotlights fixed throughout the city: Monte Ciccia and Forte Cavalli, for example. But they always change, of location and time in order not to give points of reference and are decided – from the north to the south area – also in function of the weather and wind conditions.
The complete article is available on the paper and digital edition
