It was contained, during the night, the
fire broke out
in
Pantelleria
in the Favarotta, Khamma and Perimetrale districts.
The flames devoured hectares of vegetation and endangered several homes that were evacuated.
The tourists
are on the run.
Among the vacated villas there would also be that of the player
Marco Tardelli
and the designer
Giorgio Armani
, who was hosting some friends when he had to leave his home in a hurry, aboard an SUV to reach the coast and get on the boat.
The
Public Prosecutor of Marsala
, directed by Roberto Piscitello,
has opened an investigation into the fire
that devastated hectares of vegetation in Pantelleria.
The nature of the stake is still uncertain.
Two trigger points 400 meters away from each other, since it could also be compatible with an accidental event.
The prosecutors are acquiring the photogrammetric surveys and all the municipal ordinances on the prevention and management of fires.
The fire that broke out yesterday on the island of Pantelleria has not yet been extinguished but it is under control.
At 6.55 am two Canadair arrived but soon one had to leave the venue due to a breakdown and will be replaced.
The fire brigade says that a flame front is active in Cala Gottone.
Two operational teams with fire engines and forest fire-fighting modules were sent from the Trapani fire brigade command, working with forestry personnel and civil protection volunteers.
The flames are fueled by the sirocco wind
that still blows strongly on the island.
Last night some airport vehicles were also sent to the fire sites.
The airport is functioning.
"After last night's great fear and a night spent at work in Pantelleria, we are moving towards normality: two Canadair are already at work to extinguish the last outbreaks in an area after which it is difficult to operate from the ground. The wind has dropped and so are the flames, the worst seems to be over ".
Thus
the mayor Vincenzo Campo
takes stock of the situation on the island with ANSA.
There remains "the strong doubt" that the stake "has a malicious origin", because, he explains, it "started from two points distant from each other hundreds of meters".
Campo hopes that "in Pantelleria, as in 2016, nature can cover up what happened and that the 'phenomena' of this unworthy act will be discovered".
"The fire touched houses and hit several reeds, so some houses were indirectly damaged.
During the night about thirty people were made safe
by sea as a precaution and
eighteen
of them were
hosted by the Municipality
. are injured, but only so much fear ", explained Campo, taking stock of the situation on the island with ANSA and explaining that" there was a great synergy and a strong commitment, professional and human, on the part of all
rescuers
: firefighters, volunteers, forestry corps, municipal civil protection, carabinieri, navy and coast guard. And we are proud of it. They did a great job waiting for 'reinforcements' ".
"Two
Canadians are speaking
from this morning to extinguish the last fires still lit ". Now after the extinction we will do the count of the damages that are important".
Thus the mayor of Pantelleria Vincenzo Campo comments on what was a long night of fire.
To cope with the flames, the fire and forestry fighters were at work all night to contain the flames that are affecting the Cala Gadir area on the island of Pantelleria.
Personnel on duty were recalled and the intervention of the airport detachment was also activated, there are 20 firefighters who work to protect homes with 5 rescue vehicles.
On the island a team transported from Trapani Birgi airport by an Air Force helicopter, while other personnel with vehicles in tow was embarked to reach the
island by sea.
During the night the situation appeared a little improved thanks to the contrasting action favored by a decrease in the wind, which made the first phases of the rescue operations more difficult.
At the moment, there are no people and homes involved.
"The fire was contained, some outbreaks remain".
The head of the Civil Protection, Salvo Cocina, says so.
"It went well - he adds - because the sirocco wind pushes towards the sea, otherwise it would have been complicated".
Cocina explains that "there was no harm to people, only some wooden structures such as canopies and gazebos were burned".
However, at dawn a canadair and air vehicles from the regional forestry corps will leave for Pantelleria.
A ship will set sail from Trapani to transport other fire-fighting vehicles.
In the Pantelleria fire "
there are no people or homes involved
".
The fire brigade says so.
Meanwhile, a team of firefighters transported from Trapani Birgi airport by an Air Force helicopter is arriving on the island, while other personnel with vehicles in tow are embarking to reach Pantelleria by sea.
The use of air vehicles is expected at dawn.
The Port Authority has made some fleeing tourists get on their patrol boats.
Who can is getting on the boats and rafts to get away as much as possible.
On the island there are few men and means to face the flames and air vehicles cannot take off at night.
The fire in Pantelleria broke out in two different points of the island above Cala Cinque Denti and in Cuddia di Gadir which are about 2 km away.
Three days ago another fire broke out in Cala Cinque Teeth but it was extinguished in the initial stages.
All this suggests that the
origin
of the fire is
malicious
.
This was said by an inhabitant of Pantelleria who saw the fire develop on the island.
The strong sirocco wind caused the flames to flare up causing the stake that fell from the hills to move, reaching the dammusi and the houses and then crossing the road: there are about twenty houses involved.
The flames have burned some light poles, cutting off electricity in various districts.
In some areas the power has been restored.
The area involved in the fire is over 30 hectares: vineyards are burned, including that of Giorgio Armani, and Mediterranean scrub.
It was a long difficult day in Palermo too.
With seven fires in the Partinico area, Misilmeri, in the Sicani park.
Flames broke out in Casale Belmonte Mezzagno, Pizzo Garibaldi in Alia and the Marino district in Prizzi.
