Dozens of people have been evacuated following a forest fire on the isolated Italian island of Pantelleria, with the help of designer Giorgio Armani who spent his holidays there, authorities said on Thursday (August 18th).
The Coast Guard said 30 tourists were evacuated by boat after the fire broke out in vegetation on the northeast of the island, which is located between Sicily and Tunisia, on Wednesday.
No one was injured and no property was damaged in the blaze, although two Canadairs were deployed early Thursday morning to douse the flames.
Criminal fire
Giorgio Armani, 88, owns a vacation home in Pantelleria and "
the flames came near the house
", but he was not injured, a spokeswoman for the brand told AFP.
“
It was Giorgio Armani's staff who gave the alert.
However, Giorgio Armani decided to go by boat to warn the neighbors
,” she added.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire, but Pantelleria Mayor Vincenzo Campo said it could be arson.
He thanked the emergency services for their help and condemned the "
cowards
" who are "
trampling this land unjustly
".
Read alsoFires, accidents … These volunteer firefighters who come to the aid of others
Much of Western Europe, including Italy, has turned into a powder keg this summer due to a series of heat waves and rainless months.
Human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts and wildfires, experts say.
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