More than 200 hectares of Mediterranean scrub and pine forest have gone up in smoke due to a fire that has been affecting an area between the municipalities of Frascineto and Civita in the territory of the Pollino National Park since yesterday and which is continuing to threaten homes and farms where the fire brigade teams are busy protecting. Four Canadairs sent from the bases of Lamezia Terme and Ciampino, a regional helicopter and three helicopters from the national fleet (Drago VF120 from the Viggiano base, Drago VF114 from the Lamezia Terme flight department and Lima09 from the army), the teams of the Civil Protection of Frascineto and Civita, the workers of Calabria Verde and the firefighters of Castrovillari, Corigliano-Rossano and Rende. The situation, however, has become very critical as the strong wind blowing in the area affected by the fire does not allow vehicles to reach the area, hindering the extinguishing operations. Coordinating the operations of the ground teams (around 40 units of firefighters, Calabria Verde staff and volunteers) and of the air vehicles are two Directors for Fire Fighting Operations, one from the Cosenza Fire Brigade Command and one from the company. Green Calabria.
«Even the work of the two Canadairs who have been in action since this morning – states the director of Calabria Verde’s firefighting operations, Luigi Vigna – it is rather difficult because there is a strong wind and turbulence which does not allow the two aircraft to lower themselves and hit the fires. The two Canadians are loading water into a dam in Senise in Basilicata as both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas are too rough and make the water draft impossible. A helicopter had also arrived but unfortunately due to the turbulence caused by the strong wind it was unable to operate.”