Evacuation in Sardinia. Fire cuts off beachgoers' escape route.
The incident occurred on July 27th on Punta Molentis beach, in the south of the island. This beach is frequently visited by families with children and foreign tourists.
On Sunday, a fire fanned by the mistral winds spread rapidly between Castiadas and Villasimius. Although firefighters attempted to extinguish the blaze, using the regional fleet, aircraft, and a firefighting helicopter, the fight proved uneven. The blaze approached the beach, cutting off the escape route for beachgoers.
Fire in Sardinia. Beachgoers evacuated.Emergency services responded quickly and launched a coordinated rescue operation. The Coast Guard evacuated 102 people by sea, including 12 children. A CP320 patrol boat was on site, and a Nemo helicopter monitored the area. The Cagliari Port Authority was mobilized for a possible sea rescue, and private individuals also provided their boats for the evacuation.
The fire destroyed the kiosk and cars parked nearby. Photos from the area show at least several burned vehicles. Some people tried to save them, desperately trying to escape to the beach, but they became stuck in the sand.
The rescue operation was successful. No reports of anyone injured in the fire were released.
However, ecologists from GrIG (Italian National Institute of the Environment) are devastated by the consequences and wrote about an environmental jewel that has burned down.
Southern Italy has been grappling with a heatwave in recent days. Last week, authorities warned that temperatures would remain above average, with temperatures reaching over 42 degrees Celsius in southern Italian regions such as Puglia, Basilicata, Sardinia, and Sicily.
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