Italian firefighters on continuous duty for forest fires near Trieste and Lake Garda

Italian firefighters have been engaged in continuous operations to combat wildfires near Trieste and along Lake Garda, with efforts ongoing into Sunday. The incidents began on Saturday afternoon when a large fire broke out in the karst region near the coastal town of Monfalcone, close to Trieste and the popular tourist area of Duino. Local authorities quickly raised the alarm, prompting immediate action to contain the blaze. The fire spread rapidly, leading to the closure of the scenic coastal road SS14 connecting Monfalcone and Duino. Train services on the Trieste-Venezia line were temporarily halted, though no new updates were available for Sunday. The A4 motorway remained open, although visibility was impaired by dense smoke in parts of the area. Firefighting efforts faced challenges due to persistent dry conditions, which have made the karst terrain around Trieste particularly vulnerable to fires. Three firefighting helicopters were unable to operate during the night of Saturday to Sunday, delaying initial containment efforts. By early Sunday morning, the fire had expanded beyond its original boundaries, necessitating additional support. A Canadian air tanker arrived from Genoa later in the day, a type of aircraft familiar to Austrian observers from past wildfire battles such as the one in Hirschwald on the Rax mountain in autumn 2021. However, the aircraft had to return after just a few hours due to mechanical issues. The SS14 remained closed throughout Sunday, with local media reporting repeated sightings of curious onlookers attempting to approach the site on foot or by bicycle. Traffic congestion developed on the A4 motorway in the early afternoon, prompting advisories for travelers to consider alternate routes through Slovenian territory, which lies just two kilometers away by air. Those traveling from Trieste to Austria were advised to consider using the route via Udine-Arnoldstein instead, noting the need for an Austrian motorway vignette. Firefighters continued their work despite increasing wind speeds along the coastal area, which posed a growing challenge. By late Sunday afternoon, local broadcaster TGR Friuli Venezia Giulia reported that the main fire was under control. Additional smaller wildfires in the same coastal region were swiftly contained or extinguished, according to other local media reports. Complicating the firefighting efforts were unexploded ordnance remnants from past wars buried beneath the forest floor. These munitions, known to be present in the area for decades, could pose a risk even after prolonged exposure to heat from the flames. This situation echoes recent concerns in Lower Austria, where unexploded ordnance was suspected of contributing to a major wildfire in the Föhrenwald near Neunkirchen last week. Meanwhile, the situation along the western shore of Lake Garda has significantly improved. A visible wildfire erupted on Friday evening but was deemed manageable by Saturday afternoon. Firefighting operations continued on Sunday, but local newspaper Brescia Oggi reported no further threats to the surrounding population.