Flames capable of devouring hectares of wood without respite and mercy. The fires – which broke out in the areas of Montiferru, Oristano dell’Ogliastra starting from 23 July last – did not “only” inflict serious damage to vegetation, cultivated fields and farms, but also exterminated dozens of animals including horses, cattle, dogs and cats trapped in cages . 

The fire also reached the millennial olive tree “Sa Tanca Manna”, symbol of the city of Cuglieri (OR), destroying an important heritage of plant and animal biodiversity.

A race against time

The first hours of fires, which devastated entire wooded areas in the central-western area of ​​the island, were a race against time, in which volunteers and zoophile guards from the ENPA worked hard to save as many animals as possible. possible.

In several situations, their commitment has led to success. It was the case, for example, of the shelter for dogs in the municipality of Cabras which, despite being totally destroyed, saw the rescue of all thirty four-legged guests .  

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for a family-run cattery in Oristano, where twenty-eight cats have died . 

A massacre of wild animals

According to reports from the island’s zoophile guards, at least four hundred deer, foxes, wild boars and many other wild animals lived in the woods affected by the fires . Now, however, there remains a sad trail of charred carcasses. 

” What happened in Sardinia is very serious, it is a real fire of enormous dimensions that has destroyed not only forests and areas that are very precious for biodiversity, but which has killed thousands of wild animals, all in the process of reproduction ” he says . Enpa on its website , appealing to the Government.

“ Faced with this tragedy, we ask the Ministry of Ecological Transitionto do research to get a balance of the huge losses. […] Think not only of birds, but of mammals and minor fauna. Trapped in the fire, burnt alive or died suffocated a large number of animals, with very serious losses. For this reason, we ask that any slaughter or killing of animals be stopped immediately not only – as already foreseen – in the areas affected by the fire, but also in all the provinces concerned if not throughout the island, as well as the suspension of the hunting activity foreseen in September “.

According to Coldiretti’s estimates , it will take at least fifteen years to rebuild the woods and the Mediterranean scrub destroyed by the flames, which have reached pastures, olive trees, sheds, barns with stocks of fodder and agricultural vehicles.

A tragedy to be avoided

Fires of this magnitude, capable of reducing over 20,000 hectares of land to ashes in a few hours, represent a real catastrophe for the island. 

” A tragedy that had to be avoided ” said Carla Rocchi , national president of Enpa. ” Despite the very high number of foresters present, fires occur in Sardinia every year and the Region once again demonstrates the usual ineffectiveness in preventing them , lacking concrete monitoring services “.

An investigation opened

While there are damages and victims, the Prosecutor of Oristano has opened a file with the hypothesis of a culpable fire aggravated by the huge fire that devastated the vast area of ​​Montiferru. 

To fully understand the dynamics of the incident, the outcome of the investigations conducted by the Forestry Corps and environmental surveillance will be fundamental , which is carrying out surveys in all the areas affected by the flames, in search of useful elements for reconstruction.

The prosecutor also investigates three other fires that have broken out in other nearby areas, for which fraud is assumed . In fact, it seems that a car set on fire in Bonarcado, in the province of Oristano, generated the flames, fueled by the strong wind. However,given the vastness of the affected area, it is suspected that one or more people have triggered other outbreaks .

And if it is true that human action has to do with this environmental catastrophe, how will it be possible to avoid future disasters in a land already heavily tested by centuries of deforestation, fires and depletion of resources?

” It is not enough to restore an area so seriously damaged in its landscape, naturalistic, economic and social identity ” declared the president of the Region Christian Solinas . ” The tragedies of recent days must induce politics to trace a new path of harmony between the human presence and the management of the territory and the safeguarding of our immense and precious environmental heritage“.