The first firefighting vehicles from the Department of Civil Protection's national air fleet, coordinated by the Unified Air Operations Center, have been deployed to Sardinia.
Only one Canadair has arrived in Olbia, but it is possible that during periods of greater risk (perhaps from July) it will be joined by two other aircraft, while in Cagliari an Army HH412 helicopter is deployed in AIB configuration and at the Decimomannu air base an Air Force HH139 , also in firefighting configuration.
The other aircraft of the national fleet are deployed in Genoa, Casarsa della Delizia (Pordenone), L'Aquila, Viterbo, Rieti, Rome-Urbe, Ciampino, Naples-Capodichino, Lamezia Terme, Reggio Calabria, Catania, Sigonella and Trapani.
During the period of maximum attention, which runs from 1 July to 5 September 2026, the fleet is made up of 15 Canadair CL415 aircraft in flight line and 4 Erickson S64F helicopters.
The fleet's deployment is determined based on a series of factors: climate and meteorological forecasts, the national forest fire forecast bulletin, historical statistics, the location and size of the regional fleet, and the availability of water sources, the National Civil Protection Department states, and can be adjusted based on contingent, highly critical situations. In the event of a fire, the first to respond are the ground teams coordinated by the Regions.
The Sardinian Forestry and Environmental Protection Corps recalls that "the abundant winter rainfall has favored a significant increase in plant biomass, creating a situation that requires the utmost caution when carrying out activities that could potentially generate ignition sources that could spread into a fire."
(Unioneonline)
