The mountains of the Ossola Valley have been burning for 9 days, 120 people evacuated due to unbreathable air: 600 hectares of forest on fire

The Ossola mountain burns relentlessly, transforming one of the wildest natural lungs in Italy into a fiery inferno. The dramatic fire that has been plaguing the hills of Premosello Chiovenda for nine days, in Val d’Ossola in Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, has seen a frightening surge in the last few hours, forcing the authorities to order the emergency evacuation of the entire mountain village of Colloro.

Located at 550 meters above sea level, the hamlet was literally enveloped in a thick blanket of toxic smoke which made the air completely unbreathable, prompting the municipal administration to opt for the immediate clearing of the area in order to safeguard the lives of citizens.

The mayor’s order and the emergency plan for the fragile

The restrictive ordinance was signed late in the afternoon by mayor Elio Fovanna, who defined the measure as a precautionary action but no longer deferrable. The logistical operations started around 5pm, involving a group of around 120 permanent residents, in addition to the holidaymakers present in the second homes of the village. The absolute priority was assigned to the safety of the weakest sections of the population.

Thanks to the coordination in the field carried out by Salvatore Addamo, municipal councilor with responsibility for Civil Protection, the frail and elderly people were transferred to the valley. The socio-health structure of the Premoselle rest home immediately made thirty beds available, hosting the first ten elderly people evacuated, while temporary reception spaces were set up for the rest of the community inside the municipal gym.

A catastrophic progression: from 100 to 600 hectares in a few hours

The data that captures the absolute severity of the event is the speed of spread of the fire. In the space of just twenty-four hours, the fire front underwent a dramatic acceleration, expanding from just over one hundred hectares to an estimated area of ​​approximately 600 hectares of mountainside reduced to ash. The flames climbed the steep slopes to exceed 1,900 meters of altitude, officially penetrating within the boundaries of the Val Grande National Park.

The complex orography of the area, characterized by impervious gullies and inaccessible rock faces, prevents ground teams from operating directly on the perimeter of the fire, forcing rescuers to adopt an attack strategy based almost exclusively on the use of air carriers. Unfortunately, the first reconnaissance in the area also confirms a heavy naturalistic toll, with numerous specimens of wildlife trapped and killed by the flames.

The deployment of the air fleet and anti-profiteering control

Crisis management is coordinated by the Permanent Unified Operations Room (SOUP). To try to contain the three simultaneous fires that are plaguing the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, a massive air force has been deployed. Four Canadair heavy aircraft from the state fleet are taking turns flying over Premosello to carry out continuous drops of water and retardant liquid, supported in the areas at lower altitudes by regional helicopters and aircraft Dragon of the Fire Brigade.

In parallel with the firefighting maneuvers, the Carabinieri, the Forestry Carabinieri and the Police forces guard the road accesses to ensure an orderly outflow of the population and to launch targeted patrols against the risk of looting in recently abandoned homes. The authorities maintain their appeal for calm, inviting the civilian population not to improvise autonomous rescue maneuvers to avoid hindering professional rescuers.