Summit in Arzana after Friday's massive fire.
Regional Environment Councilor Rosanna Laconi arrived in the council chamber this morning, welcomed by Mayor Angelo Stochino and other members of the council. Also present were Regional Councilor Salvatore Corrias and Vitale Pili, the mayor of Elini, another town affected by the fire.
For the occasion, Councilor Laconi wore a Forestas jersey. It was no coincidence: "I wear it to demonstrate that we are a mature system. The regional Civil Protection Agency is a fantastic and increasingly effective machine," she said at the beginning of her speech.
The meeting was attended by civil authorities, managers from the Forestry and Forests agencies, the Fire Department, and the Civil Protection Department. Once the fires were extinguished, controversy erupted because neither Forestry nor Forests are allowed to operate at night: "The most important industry we have in Sardinia," Laconi stated, "is the environmental industry, and we must protect it, including by investing in technology. Upstream planning is needed so that no one feels alone, and we must move beyond rigid contractual rules. We have developed new hiring criteria for Forestas that will prioritize areas experiencing depopulation."
Maurizio Mallocci, regional director of Forestas, emphasized prevention: "Not to avoid, but to limit the phenomenon of fires." Regional Councilor Salvatore Corrias added: "The central-eastern quadrant is increasingly affected by these events. The airport is available to accommodate any firefighting vehicles needed."