Arsonists in southern Italy have been using a horrific method to start wildfires: tying flammable rags to the tails of cats and releasing them into fields. Domenico Costarella of Calabria’s Civil Protection Agency reported that these animals were used to spread the fire, and other evidence also points to arson, including candles lit among flammable rags and delayed ignition devices.
Investigation and Aftermath
Firefighters are still working to contain the blazes around Calabria’s Pollino National Park. The Italian Association for the Defense of Animals and the Environment has filed a criminal complaint and offered a 1,000 euro reward for information on who may have set the cats alight. This is not the first time that cats have been used to start forest fires in southern Italy. In 2016, authorities in Sicily blamed the mob for using cats to start forest fires in a national park.
According to UC Berkeley researcher Lauren Pearson, there is evidence that Mafia groups often set fires to gain control of territory, often buying land at a premium in the aftermath. Some organized crime groups have taken advantage of Italy’s clean energy transition, with one farmer testifying that he was approached by solar panel companies to sell his land after it had been burned.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
