Italy battles heat‑driven emergency surge and widespread wildfires FAST-MOVING
A prolonged heatwave across northern and central Italy has driven a sharp rise in emergency calls. In Lombardy, the regional health authority recorded more than 5,150 calls to the 118 number on June 28 and 3,817 on August 1, yet hospital admissions from emergency departments stayed roughly unchanged – about 25,500 in July 2026 versus 25,600 the previous year. The region’s “Piano Caldo” programme, aimed at protecting vulnerable citizens, has made roughly 33,000 proactive phone contacts and deployed dozens of cold‑spot shelters.
At the same time, a series of wildfires have flared in several regions. In Abruzzo, a blaze near Lucoli burned through vegetation, was visible from L’Aquila at night and continued to spread toward Roio, prompting fire‑fighters, the civil protection agency and aerial assets to work round‑the‑clock. A separate forest fire above Gordona in Valchiavenna required Canadair aircraft and helicopters to drop water on the flames. The Verbano‑Cusio‑Ossola area (VCO) reported five active fronts, with ground crews and aerial support battling fires in Crevoladossola, Val Formazza, Calasca, Val Grande and Valle Cannobina. In the industrial port of Marghera, a fire forced a coordinated response by the fire service, the prefecture and environmental monitors, and residents were advised to keep windows closed.
Rescue teams have also been active in the mountains. Alpine and speleological units saved a Roman hiker struck by lightning on the Resegone ridge using a winch, and multiple incidents on the Gran Sasso, Monte Etra and the Mariotti refuge saw hikers and a biker evacuated by helicopter or ground crews. The province of Macerata reported 95 vegetation‑fire operations between May and July, involving 471 personnel and 198 vehicles.
Entities: 118 emergency number · Abruzzo · Bologna · Cold Spot · Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico · Croce Rossa Italiana · Gordona (mountain area) · Guido Bertolaso · Loiano · Lombardia region · Lombardy · Lucoli
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] An industrial fire at Porto Marghera prompted a coordination meeting and residents were advised to keep windows closed. (municipal authorities)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Lombardy “Piano Caldo” programme made roughly 33,000 proactive phone contacts to vulnerable citizens. (regional health authority)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Calls to the emergency number 118 in Lombardy exceeded 5,150 on June 28 and 3,817 on August 1. (regional health authority)
- [● 2 SOURCES] A wildfire near Lucoli in Abruzzo was visible from L'Aquila at night and continued to spread toward Roio. (local fire and civil‑protection reports)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Hospital admissions from emergency departments in Lombardy remained roughly stable, with about 25,500 in July 2026 versus 25,600 in July 2025. (regional health authority)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A hiker struck by lightning on the Resegone ridge was rescued by alpine rescue using a winch. (Alpine rescue unit)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The fire service in the province of Macerata performed 95 vegetation‑fire operations between May and July 2026, involving 471 personnel and 198 vehicles. (provincial fire commander)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A forest fire above Gordona in Valchiavenna required Canadair aircraft and helicopters to drop water on the flames. (regional fire service)