Wildfires ravage central and southern Italy in July 2026

A series of wildfires broke out across central and southern Italy in mid‑July 2026. In Umbria, the Monte Cucco regional park saw more than 80 hectares burned as five separate fronts ignited near Scheggia, Pascelupo, Costacciaro, Nocera Umbra and Baiano di Spoleto. Firefighters deployed about 50 crews, several Canadair aircraft and helicopters, while the regional forest agency and Carabinieri investigated possible arson. In Maratea (Basilicata) a large blaze near the Cristo Redentore statue burned several hectares of Mediterranean scrub; investigators suspect a deliberate act. The Puglia region reported 972 hectares burned, with the geological association warning of heightened landslide and flash‑flood risk. Smaller incidents included a short‑circuit in an Enel cabinet in Chiaravalle (IT) that sparked a brief fire, a crane striking high‑voltage lines and a gas leak in Ferrara, and a heating‑plant fire in Villa di Tirano. Fire services, civil‑protection volunteers and local authorities coordinated evacuations, closed hiking trails, and issued safety orders. Across the incidents, authorities emphasized the need for rapid response, aerial support, and investigations into the suspected deliberate ignitions.