Italy is experiencing a drought of the century, water is becoming scarce and fires are increasing. In Bibione there were probably dramatic scenes when vacationers had no choice but to flee into the sea.
Bibione – Italy has been struggling with a drought of the century for weeks. The situation was already very bad this summer, especially in the northern regions around Lake Garda and Veneto.
As a result of the drought, a devastating forest fire broke out in the town of Bibione, which is particularly popular with German holidaymakers. In the seaside resort on the Adriatic about 100 kilometers to the east, tourists had to flee into the sea to escape the flames, as the dpa reports.
Drought in Italy: A state of emergency has already been declared in many regions
Due to the drought in Italy, Mario Draghi’s government felt compelled to declare a state of emergency in several regions. Bibione is in the Veneto region, and the state of emergency has already been declared there too.
- Regions in Italy where the state of emergency has been declared:
- Lombardy: One of the northernmost regions of Italy. In addition to popular holiday areas such as Lake Garda, there are also parts of the Alps and the Po River, which was badly hit by the drought.
- Piedmont: , The north-westernmost region of Italy. Piedmont borders France and Switzerland.
- Emilia-Romagna: The northern Italian region borders both Lombardy and Veneto.
- Veneto: The region stretches from Lake Garda in the northwest to Venice in the southeast of the country.
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia : The region around Trieste is located in the northeast of Italy.
The state of emergency applies in each of the affected regions until December 31, 2022, as the Federal Foreign Office writes. Due to the state of emergency, aid funds can be claimed more easily. Drinking water has already been rationed in some areas.
Fire in holiday resort: In Italy, the only thing left to do is escape into the sea
The fire broke out in Bibione on Friday afternoon (July 15), as reported by the dpa . Tourists who had stayed on the beach had no choice but to flee into the sea. Here they had to be rescued by the Coast Guard.
Several fire brigades fought against the fire, including a fire-fighting helicopter. It is currently not known how many people fled from the flames. “We hope that it will not be revoked in the coming hours, but there should be no missing people,” San Michele al Tagliamento deputy mayor Pierluigi Grosseto told Ansa news agency.
Fight the flames: In many regions, Italy has to take action against fires
The cause of the fire is currently being determined in Bibione, according to dpa . In Italy, however, there are currently fires in more places. Probably the biggest fire in recent days is in Trentino in northern Italy. The flames are blazing here in a forested area of the mountain region on around 70 hectares. 90 firefighters and two helicopters and two fire-fighting aircraft are deployed here to fight the fire.
But there are also fires further south in Italy. In Sicily and Sardinia, the extinguishing work is in full swing. Firefighting aircraft are also used here. There was also a fire in an olive grove in Tuscany. The Federal Foreign Office assumes that a state of emergency could soon also be imposed for the Tuscany region. Due to the water shortage in Italy, it was recently warned that there could also be a production stop for cheese. (Lucas Maier)
