A major wildfire broke out on Friday evening in Alto Garda, in the Tignale mountains on the western shore of Lake Garda. Firefighters, civil protection teams, forest Carabinieri and volunteer fire crews are on site working to secure the area. The response is being coordinated by the mayor of Tignale, Daniele Bonassi, who described the scenes as "terrifying".
The blaze has not yet been brought under control because of winds of up to 40 kilometres an hour, which are rapidly changing the direction of the flames. The area has been hit hard by the drought of recent weeks, leaving vegetation dry and highly vulnerable to fire. This morning two Canadair water-bombing aircraft were also deployed to try to stop the flames.
The authorities have ordered the evacuation of 200 people. Overnight, guests were moved out of holiday homes and the "La Forca" residence, which hosts many Italian and foreign tourists. Rescuers are going house to housebecause it is sometimes unclear which properties are currently occupied or used by tourists. So far, no injuries have been reported.
The cause of the blaze is still unclear, and for now rescue efforts are focused on containing the flames.
