In Italy 159,437 hectares of forest
and vegetation were burned by wildfires in 2021, an increase of
154.8% with respect to 2020, environmental association
Legambiente said in a report on Wednesday.
The report, entitled 'Italy in Smoke' (Italia in Fumo), said the
fires were often caused by arson or other criminal activities
and the situation has been made worse by the climate crisis.
The figures for 2022 look set to be even worse.
Italian firefighters conducted 32,921 operations to combat
blazes involving forests and vegetation between June 15 and July
21, 4,040 more than in the same period last year, according to
data released on Friday.
The severe drought Italy is enduring and a series of heat waves
have created conditions that make it easier for fires to spread
fast.
Drought and heat waves are among the extreme weather events that
scientists say are becoming more frequent and more intense due
to climate change caused by human activity.
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