The flames are devouring hectares of vegetation and endangering several homes which have been evacuated.
Tourists are feeling in droves as luxury villas belonging to VIPs are being evacuated. Among the houses being cleared are those of football player Marco Tardelli and fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who was hosting guests when he had to leave his home in a hurry, travelling by SUV to reach the coast and board a rescue boat.
The Port Authority has brought some tourists on the run aboard their patrol boats, with those who are able are boarding boats and inflatable devices to get as far away from the disaster as possible.
The island is lacking both the men and the means to face the flames, with aerial support unable to access the disaster by flight at night. The fire in Pantelleria has broken out at two different points on the island, above Cala Cinque Denti and at Cuddia di Gadir, which are about 2 km apart. Three days ago, at Cala Cinque Denti another fire had broken out, but was extinguished in its initial stages. All of this suggests that the origin of the fire is arson. This has been said by an inhabitant of Pantelleria who first saw the fire on the island develop. The strong wind, or sirocco, caused the flames to flare, then causing the fire that fell from the hills to spread, reaching the dammusi and the houses and then passing the road- there are about twenty houses affected. The flames burned some street light poles, removing electricity in different districts.
In some areas power has already been restored. The area affected by the fire currently spans over 30 hectares, with the vineyards of Giorgio Armani and Mediterranean scrub having been burned. It was a long and difficult day, even in Palermo, with seven fires in the area of Partinico, Misilmeri, in the Sicani Park. Flames broke out in Casale Belmonte Mezzagno, Pizzo Garibaldi in Alia and Contrada Marino in Prizzi- many have been impacted by this devastating blaze.
