In 2026, 47,942 hectares have already burned in Italy, 135% more than the average for the period 2006-2025, when as of 22 July the hectares burned were approximately 20,329 hectares: this is the data reported in the EFFIS database of Copernicus (European Forest Fire Information System), the European fire monitoring system.
According to the new report “Italy in smoke 2026” by Legambiente, 469 fires have been recorded since the beginning of the year, marking an increase of 36.3% compared to the same period last year (344 fires at the beginning of 2025).
2025 also ended with one of the heaviest tolls in recent years, with almost 100,000 hectares of forests burned, almost double that of 2024. Being a growing threat and a sadly increasing phenomenon, especially in this season, it becomes essential to know what to do, who to call, how to move and how to behave in the presence of a forest fire.
As indicated by the Civil Protection, the most important thing is to look for a safe escape route and immediately call the Single European Emergency Number, 112, or 115 of the Fire Brigade. This is because, as you can already imagine, a forest fire does not behave at all like a house fire: it is a front that moves outdoors and can move much faster than a person walks.
Who to call in case of forest fire
If you spot a fire it is essential to alert the Fire Brigade by contacting 115 or 112, which is the Single European Emergency Number, which will forward the call to the Fire Brigade operations centre.
Alternatively, you can call 1515, the emergency number to which you can report the presence of forest fires. What must be kept in mind is that the user must precisely indicate the location of the area that is burning, specifying the Province and the Municipality, and that you must never hang up, at least not until the operator says so, because the questions he asks serve to dimension the intervention.
How to protect yourself from flames: the indications of the Civil Protection
The operational indications of the Civil Protection and of the I don’t risk campaign specify that we must look for a safe escape route, a road, a watercourse. You never stop downwind, that is, in the direction towards which the wind is pushing the flames, because you could be trapped.
If there are no alternatives, and the front is not very intense and shallow, you can try to cross it at the weakest point to reach the already burned area. However, when moving is not possible, the right thing is to lie down on the ground in a spot without vegetation because the smoke tends to rise and in this way you avoid breathing it. We don’t stop along the roads to watch or film, because parked cars are an obstacle to emergency vehicles.
Possible causes of a fire: what not to do
The causes of a forest fire can be either natural or caused by imprudent, unaware or criminal behavior conducted by one or more people. What must be kept in mind is that a lot can be done in terms of prevention, therefore adopting responsible behavior towards the environment and the territory.
For example, if you have to park the car you need to make sure that the muffler is not in contact with dry grass, as it could catch fire. Never light a fire if you are not inside designated and equipped areas and when you are in a picnic area (where the lighting of a barbecue is permitted) it is essential to pay maximum attention to the fire and that it is never left unattended.
It is essential to make sure that the fire is actually put out and that once the on-site activity is concluded, all the waste generated is taken with it, which can constitute a potentially dangerous fuel, as well as harmful to the environment. Furthermore, it is forbidden to throw lit matches or cigarettes which could set fire to dry grass or burn (without the right and necessary safety precautions) straw or agricultural residues. In these cases the fire can flare up in a few minutes without control, also due to the wind, in the presence of which it is always correct not to light any fire in any case.
