Italy issues maximum fire danger alert as wildfires scorch Tuscany and threaten Piemonte

On July 8, 2026, a forest fire erupted on Monte Serra in the Tuscan municipality of Buti, destroying about one hectare of pine forest. Emergency services extinguished the blaze by the afternoon, deploying three regional helicopters, volunteer fire brigades, forest workers, and fire department personnel, and temporarily closed Provincial Road 56.

The same day, the Piedmont regional authority declared a state of maximum fire danger, citing record temperatures and recent fires across the region. The decree imposes strict bans on open flames, agricultural residue burning, and other activities that could spark fires, and urges citizens to report any fire sightings to emergency services.