It is already an emergency

Fires, over 51,000 hectares in smoke in 2024. Black jersey Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia

And in Sardinia, 40 fires broke out within 24 hours. Forces in the field to try to contain the phenomenon

by Davide Madeddu

16 June 2025

3' min read

Key points

514 square kilometres in smoke
In ashes ecosystems and Mediterranean scrub
In 2024, less severe fires than in the past
66% in Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia
The most critical periods

3' min read

The fire season has already begun. And in the southern regions, it is alert. In Sardinia alone, over 40 have been recorded in the last 24 hours, with some still being extinguished. And because of the high temperatures, the outlook seems to be anything but serene. Also in light of the balance of 2024, when the flames devoured more than 51 thousand hectares of land covered with vegetation or agricultural areas throughout Italy.

514 square kilometres in smoke

Specifically, 514 square kilometres, almost half the surface area of Rome Capital. According to the study carried out by Ispra as part of the observations and monitoring of the impacts of large forest fires on ecosystems (the data on burnt areas are provided by the European Forest Fires Information System of the European programme Copernicus Emergency) in 2024 Sicily is the region with the largest extension of forest fires, with a total area covered by fire of 17,540 hectares reduced to ashes. In Calabria, a total of 10,241 hectares are covered by fire. In Sardinia, the figure drops to 5,524 hectares, about half the area covered by fire in Calabria and about the same as that burned in Campania and Lazio.

In ashes ecosystems and Mediterranean scrub

Of the total reduced to ashes, 20% were forest ecosystems. Forty-six per cent of the burnt forests were populated by evergreen broadleaf trees, such as holm oaks and macchia, 37 per cent deciduous broadleaf forests (which lose their leaves in the cold season and find them again in the spring) and 14 per cent coniferous forests.

In 2024 fires will be less severe than in the past

"The fires that occurred in Italy in 2024 were less severe in terms of the extent of the areas affected compared to previous years," Ispra reported, "the overall extent of the areas affected by fire in 2024 is in fact about 2/3 of the average value calculated in the period 2018-2023. The total area burned in Italy in 2024 is higher only than that burned in 2018 and 2019, but decidedly lower than all the years between 2020 and 2023. The numbers are significantly lower than in 2023 for both the total area burned (-52%) and the forest area burned (-34%)".

66% between Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia

A reading of the data shows that the area covered by fire in 2024 decreases significantly in Sicily and remains stable or increases in the other southern regions, Sardinia and the other northern regions, while it decreases in the central regions.

In 2024, 16 out of 20 regions were affected by large forest fires. 'The regions of Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia alone accounted for more than 66 per cent of the total Italian forest area affected by large forest fires,' it continues. The regions with no large burnt areas are Valle D'Aosta, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto'. That is not all. The data show that the province that has suffered the most from fires is Reggio Calabria with 10.3 square kilometres, "which alone accounts for 41% of the total forest burnt in Calabria and 10% of the total national forest burnt". The provinces of Cosenza and Nuoro also burnt 9.4 square kilometres and 8 square kilometres of forest area respectively. 31% of forest ecosystems affected by fire in 2024 are located within protected areas, mainly belonging to Natura 2000 Network sites.

The most critical periods

Most of the fires occurred between the first days of July and mid-August. This year, from 1 January to 9 June, 'the total area affected by forest fires was 34 square kilometres, of which almost 10 square kilometres belonged to woods and forests'.