Firefighters Use Drones To Fight Fires, And Catch Who Started Them

A drone camera caught an arsonist in the act of starting a forest fire, in Montesarchio, Italy about 30 miles NE of Naples. He is depicted in the video lighting the fire with a cigarette lighter before walking away. An unnamed suspect was arrested nearby and described by Police as a 50 year old sheep and goat farmer.

Firefighters put the fire out the same day after it destroyed about 5 acres of pasture and woods. Italy has had more forest fires than usual this year due to very dry conditions in forests and grasslands. Roberto Cingolani, a physicist who is Italy's minister for ecological transition, told his nation's parliament on Aug. 5 that people start "more than 70 percent of the fires" ravaging Italy's rural regions —most of them deliberately.

Cingolani continued by saying lightning strikes and natural cases are the reason for only  2 percent of forest fires. Comparatively, 57.4% are due to arson. 

Firefighting drones have become a positive assistant in unexpected ways during the fire season in Italy and around the world. Not only can they help in cases like this, but they will also help commanders quickly analyze the scene of fires and emergency events. 

Alberto Brivio, President of Coldiretti Bergamo, a regional farmers’ association shared that there has been a mass slaughter of farm animals due to the wildfires that have burned through tens of thousands of acres. Brivio speculated that Mafia organizations could be setting fires in order to "force farmers to sell their land,” due to being ready for development after the fire. 

He continued to share how they are devastating the countryside of Apulia. The farmer’s charges are still unannounced at this time.

FMI: www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/organizzazione/organizzazione-per-la-tutela-forestale-ambientale-e-agroalimentare