On Wednesday, the fire brigade ordered the evacuation of a campsite and holiday village near San Felice Bay, close to Vieste in Puglia due to wildfires.
The evacuation, affecting around 1,200 holidaymakers, was a precautionary measure due to a major wildfire in the surrounding forest.
The Italian News Agency (ANSA) reported that tourists without cars were being transported by boat to a gymnasium provided by the Vieste town council.
Carabinieri Lieutenant Colonel Giuliano Palomba, who is coordinating the investigation, stated that a probe has been opened into the Puglia wildfires and arson is suspected.
Strong winds were pushing the flames towards Baia di Campi village, which can host 1,200 guests and is about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from the fire’s origin.
In addition to ground-forces, firefighters deployed three Canadair water bombers and a helicopter to combat the blaze. “The situation is critical,” Vieste mayor Giuseppe Nobiletti told the Italian press.
Recent weeks have seen wildfires across Italy, especially in the south and on the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, amid intense heat. According to Coldiretti, Italy’s main agricultural association, more than 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of land have been destroyed, with nearly 8,400 hectares lost in the past month alone.
Two firefighters died last week while trying to rescue a family from their home near a blaze in Matera, Basilicata, southern Italy.
Almost 60,000 hectares of land burned by this time last year.
