New firefighting tech is being trialled in Sardinia’s ancient forests
It could sniff out blazes long before they spread out of control
The fires went on for three relentless days in the summer of 2021, scorching over 13,000 hectares of western Sardinia. Residents “saw their whole world go up in flames around them,” says Carlo Poddi, a forestry expert on the island. Although they began with a roadside car accident that was immediately reported to firefighters, the conditions—temperatures over 40°C; an ongoing drought; and strong, hot sirocco winds blowing from Africa—made the blaze difficult to stop.
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