Castel del Monte, a former Frederick manor belonging to the Unesco Heritage, was evacuated due to a fire that reached the pine forest in front of the monument.
Villas and accommodation facilities in the area on the outskirts of Andria were also evacuated. 20 fire fighting units are working on the spot and a Canadair took off from Ciampino that made about ten launches.
So far – according to information provided by Arif – the flames, before reaching the Castel del Monte area, have destroyed over 80 hectares of forest. The situation is defined as delicate because the flames seem to be heading towards the former manor.
Men from Arif (the regional agency for irrigation and forestry activities), firefighters, forest police, Civil Protection, local police and volunteers are working on the spot.