Oria pine forest destroyed by suspected arson fire

A fire broke out overnight between Friday and Saturday, September 18 and 19, 2026, destroying the remaining pine forest in the Santoro district of Oria, near the San Cosimo alla Macchia Sanctuary.

The area was already the subject of a judicial investigation and had been placed under preventive seizure by the Carabinieri Forestali due to suspected environmental crimes involving indiscriminate tree felling. The municipality of Oria had been appointed as the judicial custodian of the area following a violent tornado in February that damaged numerous trees.

Authorities suspect the fire was an act of arson, noting that evidence points strongly toward a deliberate cause. This incident follows a similar fire that recently affected another wooded area in the Salinelle district.