LifestyleFire forces evacuation of 1,200 tourists in southern Italy

Fire forces evacuation of 1,200 tourists in southern Italy

An Italian forest caught fire
An Italian forest caught fire
Images source: © Ansa Apulia, Getty Images

6:39 PM EDT, July 25, 2024

Italian media reported a fire in the Apulia region on Wednesday evening. As a result, 1,200 tourists were evacuated from the vacation resort near San Felice Bay, near Vieste in southern Italy.

A large forest fire threatened the safety of tourists in the Italian resort. The fire department ordered a preventative evacuation because the fire spread due to strong winds.

Fire in the Italian resort

On Wednesday, July 24th, in the evening, tourists left the endangered area by car, and those without cars were transported by boat. All vacationers were temporarily placed in a gymnasium provided by the authorities of Vieste.

The evacuated resort is just about a mile away from the fire site. The prosecutor's office in Foggia has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

During the summer season, which has recently brought record-high temperatures, other countries in southern Europe are also struggling with fires. These include Croatia, Spain, and Greece.