Piedmont wildfires burn 800‑900 hectares, destroy 700,000 trees

Wildfires have swept across Italy's Piedmont region, scorching an estimated 800‑900 ha of forest in the provinces of Torino, Vercelli, Novara and Verbano‑Cusio‑Ossola. The Regional Authority reports the loss of roughly 700,000 trees and describes the event as a "true ecological catastrophe." The fires were sparked by a combination of extreme heat, prolonged drought, lightning strikes and strong foehn winds.

Firefighting operations involve more than 500 personnel – including the Vigili del Fuoco, the civil‑protection corps, volunteers and the Red Cross – supported by several Canadair aircraft, helicopters and ground crews. Fronts with the most damage include Valsesia (about 450 ha), Premosello Chiovenda (≈226 ha) and Val Prato Soana. About 150 residents of the hamlet of Colloro were evacuated as the flames approached their homes.

Air‑quality monitoring shows elevated fine‑particle levels, and the loss of habitat threatens insects, reptiles, birds and mammals such as deer and chamois. Regional Environment Assessor Matteo Marnati said, "Every hectare of forest lost is a wound to the heart of the planet." Rainfall during the night of 10 July has helped contain several hotspots, but isolated ignitions remain active. The region has launched a water‑emergency table and estimates full ecological recovery will take 2‑5 years for pioneer vegetation and 50‑70 years for mature oak, beech and conifer ecosystems.