On Wednesday Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri was forced to close its plant at Monfalcone after the northeastern city was invaded by the smoke caused by a huge wildfire in the area. Monfalcone Mayor Anna Maria Cisint appealed to local people not to go out of their homes unless it is absolutely necessary.
She said the city’s open-air market would remain closed on Wednesday and summer camps would not be able to do activities outdoors. On Tuesday the fire in the Carso area of Friuli Venezia Giulia caused traffic on the A4 motorway, on the S14 highway and on the local rail line to be suspended as firefighters from the provinces of Gorizia, Udine and Trieste joined forces to battle it. It is only one of an especially high number of wildfires to have hit Italy this year.
The severe drought Italy is enduring and a series of heat waves have created conditions that make it easier for fires to spread fast. Drought and heat waves are among the extreme weather events that scientists say are becoming more frequent and more intense due to climate change caused by human activity.
