Press release – An Observatory to combat fires in Sicily

The first Fire Observatory in Sicily has been launched — an interactive and participatory platform that supports public administrations and local associations in monitoring, preventing, and managing intentional forest fires. Thanks to this observatory, citizens can now report fires or potential ignition points, actively contributing to the protection of the territory.

The reports are forwarded to the relevant municipalities to update the land registry of burned areas, as required by Law 353/2000. This legislation requires municipalities to annually update a database of wildfires — a crucial foundation for applying post-fire environmental restrictions and protecting the natural regeneration of ecosystems by prohibiting the economic and productive use of burned land, thereby helping prevent arson.

The project is led by Fenice Verde, promoted and funded by the Sicily Environment Fund, and is carried out with the official support of the Regional Department of Land and Environment and the Presidency of the Sicilian Region – Department of Civil Protection (DRPC Sicilia). It is also implemented in partnership with the National Institute for Operational Civil Protection Training (INSFO PC), the Operational Volunteer Coordination (COV Sicilia), the Municipality of Carlentini (SR), and the Municipality of San Mauro Castelverde (PA) – the pilot municipalities for the project.

THE DATA

Satellite imagery from the Copernicus network and the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) over the past 15 years clearly shows that Sicily is one of the European regions most affected by wildfires, with incidents occurring in all seasons. Data from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) already indicate a worrying increase in fires in Spring 2025, possibly linked to traditional agricultural or pastoral practices that often escape the control of those who use them.

Fenice Verde

📧 info@feniceverde.org

🌐 www.feniceverde.org

FENICE VERDE APS – Tax Code: 97378070821

Via Galileo Galilei 163, 90145 Palermo

The spread of intentional wildfires in Sicily is fueled by real estate speculation, land use conflicts, acts of vandalism, and masked protests. Poor prevention planning worsens the problem. The consequences are devastating: loss of biodiversity, slope destabilization, soil erosion, and an accelerated process of desertification, further intensified by climate change.

The Observatory was created precisely to fill a gap in operational tools, making it easier for municipalities to create and update wildfire registries, while also strengthening the network of local associations engaged in fighting arson.

The Observatory’s interactive platform allows citizens and associations to report fires or potential ignition sources via a dedicated report form, forward their observations to the relevant municipalities, and, if necessary, provide detailed information about fires and/or illegal activities observed in protected areas post-fire — again, via a dedicated reporting module.

An important section of the platform is dedicated to mapping associations and informal groups operating in the area — a first step toward the ongoing creation of a regional coordination body to promote shared actions against fires.

Fenice Verde and the Sicily Environment Fund invite citizens, associations, and local administrations to actively participate in the project, with the shared goal of protecting Sicily’s natural heritage and stopping the fires.

⚠️ Please note: Reports submitted through the platform do not replace emergency calls. In the event of an active fire, it is essential to immediately contact:

115 (Fire Brigade),

1515 (Forestry Corps, for forest fires),

or, where available, the single emergency number 112.

To report a fire or potential risk:

🔗 www.osservatorioincendi.org/segnalazioni