The fire broke out on Sunday afternoon in the municipality of Torre del Greco. Two houses were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Vesuvius is the largest volcano in Italy. Its slopes are a nature reserve. The responsible authority ordered the police to completely cordon off the affected area. Several other field and forest fires raged in Italy over the weekend – especially in the south of the country. Firefighting aircraft had to be deployed 24 times. Calabria and the island of Sardinia were primarily affected.
Minimum sentence for arson increased
Italy wants to take more action to hold arsonists who set hundreds of fires outdoors every summer to account. Last year, the government increased the minimum sentence for deliberate arson from four to six years. Anyone who causes a fire through negligence can expect two years in prison. Previously, this sentence was one year in prison.