Fire alarm – Italy is in danger of going up in smoke

Besides the alarm about floods and landslides, there is always something we have to consider and that is of course drought.

This kind of very intense heat comes naturally from particular and very intense cyclones and perturbations, and all this might appear normal, were it not for the fact that climate change has made these events even more dramatic and complex.

A problem for the whole world

All over the world we are experiencing a lot of trouble due to torrential and excessive rainfall, but in certain other specific areas of the world we have to cope with something truly exceptional: torrid, dry heat that brings temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius, which turns into something much more intense if, of course, you stay in direct sunlight. Imagine therefore what can happen to forests.

The obvious one that often needs to be mentioned here is fires: they are a trouble that any state unfortunately suffers from, especially during the summer period. Already Canada has suffered numerous fires, for example, with all the smoke that has also choked nearby cities and forced certain American towns to use extreme measures to contain the pollution.

For Italy, the risk is rather different. Considering the large number of hilly and coastal towns, one quickly realises that seeing these forests go up in smoke poses a great hydrogeological risk for the future. The fire brigade of course always keeps an eye on this progress, but controlling every corner of Italy for the development of a fire is always complicated. That is why, fortunately, there is also the Civil Defence, which can keep an eye on the emergence of any fires or even see if there is a particular risk in the area. This includes, of course, the possibility of disastrous floods in the future.

Watch out for even the smallest signs

For the time being, however, it is good to keep an eye out for a few solitary strands of smoke – there are already fires around the world today that have caused a lot of damage, and even casualties, as these can suffocate those in the vicinity or extend their flames to private homes, where further tragedy can ensue. More than 30,000 fires have already been recorded abroad, sometimes due to heat, sometimes also due to the entire arson nature of the matter. That is why it is very important to protect what little greenery is left.

Article edited by M. C.