Rome, Aug. 11 (LaPresse) – The Sicilian regional government, on a proposal by President Renato Schifani, has declared a state of regional crisis and emergency for one year due to the fires that hit the island in July and during the first ten days of August. High temperatures and winds helped the flames spread, in several cases reaching built-up areas, causing damage to buildings, businesses and woodland and forcing hundreds of people to evacuate. The Region has allocated an initial package of 25 million euros, of which 15 million euros for Civil Protection operations and 10 million euros in compensation for agricultural businesses, while assessments are underway to quantify the damage and consider a request for a national state of emergency. A preliminary regional estimate puts the total damage recorded in eight provinces at around 50 million euros, with the most serious situation in the Palermo area, where losses amount to around 38 million euros. From July 15 to August 6, firefighters, the Forestry Corps and Civil Protection carried out a total of 8,059 firefighting and patrol operations, in an emergency that affected numerous towns in the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse and Trapani. Among the most serious incidents were the fire at the Spaccio Alimentare facility in Belmonte Mezzagno, damage to private property in Castronovo di Sicilia and the destruction of ten warehouses in Termini Imerese, while in the Agrigento area a firefighter suffered a heart attack during firefighting operations.
Fires: Sicily regional government declares state of emergency
Rome, Aug. 11 (LaPresse) – The Sicilian regional government, on a proposal by President Renato Schifani, has declared a state of regional crisis and emergency for one year due to the fires that hit the island in July and during the first ten days of August. High temperatures and winds helped the flames spread, in several cases reaching built-up areas, causing damage to buildings, businesses and woodland and forcing hundreds of people to evacuate. The Region has allocated an initial package of 25 million euros, of which 15 million euros for Civil Protection operations and 10 million euros in compensation for agricultural businesses, while assessments are underway to quantify the damage and consider a request for a national state of emergency. A preliminary regional estimate puts the total damage recorded in eight provinces at around 50 million euros, with the most serious situation in the Palermo area, where losses amount to around 38 million euros. From July 15 to August 6, firefighters, the Forestry Corps and Civil Protection carried out a total of 8,059 firefighting and patrol operations, in an emergency that affected numerous towns in the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse and Trapani. Among the most serious incidents were the fire at the Spaccio Alimentare facility in Belmonte Mezzagno, damage to private property in Castronovo di Sicilia and the destruction of ten warehouses in Termini Imerese, while in the Agrigento area a firefighter suffered a heart attack during firefighting operations.