3,000 Evacuated in Tuscany as Winds Fan Large Forest Fire Over Days
Major Forest Fire in Tuscany Prompts Mass Evacuations
ROME, May 1 (Reuters) - Italian firefighters were on Friday battling to put out a large forest fire in Tuscany that has burned for days fanned by strong winds, forcing the evacuation of around 3,000 people.
Fire Outbreak and Spread
The fire, active since Tuesday, has spread over 800 hectares on Mount Faeta, straddling the provinces of Lucca and Pisa, the mayor of a neighbouring town, San Giuliano Terme, said.
Possible Cause of the Fire
It was likely provoked by the burning of olive tree prunings that got out of hand, Matteo Cecchelli told public broadcaster RAI.
Response and Evacuation Efforts
Winds and Evacuation Measures
Overnight, strong winds fuelled the fire, prompting the precautionary evacuations, Tuscany regional president Eugenio Giani said in a statement.
Firefighting Resources Deployed
Three Canadair firefighting planes, which scoop water from lakes, rivers or seas before dropping it on fires, had been deployed to support ground staff, the national fire department said on X.
Current Situation and Warnings
"The fire is still very much active," the deputy mayor of Lucca, Fabio Barsanti, said in a Facebook video.
"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," he said.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Aidan Lewis)
