Firefighters have been trying to stop forest fires from Tuesday to Wednesday and continue to do so today. Areas in southern Italy, especially Sicily and Calabria, are struggling to battle these fires.
There have been 300 interventions in the last 12 hours. The fires have been caused primarily by arson. Further, the temperatures in southern Italy are reaching well over 104° F (40° C). In the town of Floridia, Sicily, temperatures just reached 119.8° F (48.8° C). This is the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe. These warm winds are fueling the massive flames.
Thousands of acres of land have burned already in the region of Calabria. A 76-year-old man in Calabria passed away after flames caused his home to collapse. The mayor of Reggio Calabria, Giuseppe Falcomata, stated, “Yet another victim of the fires. We are losing our history, our identity is turning to ashes, our soul is burning.”
Please keep southern Italy and those affected in your thoughts and prayers during these difficult times.
