Tuscany Wildfire Forces Evacuation of Up to 3,500 as Winds Drive Flames Toward Towns

Italian firefighters battled an out-of-control wildfire on Monte Faeta in Tuscany on Friday, as powerful overnight winds pushed flames toward populated areas and authorities ordered the precautionary evacuation of roughly 3,000 to 3,500 people from communities between the provinces of Lucca and Pisa.

The Details

The blaze on Monte Faeta ignited on Tuesday and burned through the week before strong overnight winds dramatically accelerated its spread, according to Reuters. By Friday, regional and municipal officials said the fire remained active and had scorched hundreds of hectares of woodland — Reuters and Euronews reported estimates of around 800 hectares, while an aerial survey cited by Rai News put the figure closer to 710 hectares.

Authorities ordered residents in and around the communities of Asciano and San Giuliano Terme to evacuate as a precaution. Reuters and Euronews put the number of evacuees at roughly 3,000, while Al Jazeera and The Local reported the figure at around 3,500.

Fabio Barsanti, the Deputy Mayor of Lucca, delivered a blunt assessment in a Facebook video update. "The fire is still very much active," he said. "All efforts are being made to contain as much as possible the perimeter of the fire, but we cannot relax or make predictions because we are at the mercy of the wind."

The municipality of San Giuliano Terme confirmed in a statement reported by The Local and AFP that "the wind has pushed the flames further downhill," bringing the fire closer to residential zones.

Ground crews worked through the night alongside Canadair water-bombing aircraft, helicopters, and drone monitoring teams, according to Rai News. The Tuscany regional crisis unit, civil protection services, and health support systems were all activated to assist evacuees, including vulnerable residents, Rai News reported.

Matteo Cecchelli, the Mayor of San Giuliano Terme, told Reuters that the suspected ignition source was an olive-pruning burn on private land that likely got out of control. Officials stressed that cause remains provisional and has not been formally confirmed.

Eugenio Giani, the President of Tuscany, was overseeing the regional emergency response as suppression efforts continued into Friday afternoon.

Context

Wildfires are a recurring hazard in Italy during summer months, but The Local, citing AFP, reported that this year's fire season is beginning unusually early alongside forecasts of hot and dry conditions.

What's Next

Firefighting teams including aerial units remained deployed on Monte Faeta as of Friday, with no containment announcement issued. Authorities had not lifted the evacuation orders for Asciano and San Giuliano Terme as suppression operations continued.