Palermo after the fires: it’s time to assess the damages. The residents: “We have been left alone”.
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From Borgo Nuovo to Mondello, the consensus is unanimous: “We have been left alone.” While some thank the police for the work they have done and the help they have provided to the residents of various areas in Palermo, it seems that those who were supposed to be present arrived late. Meanwhile, the atmosphere around Pizzo Sella is eerie: the houses are abandoned and blackened for long stretches. The fire has consumed everything in its path, and what remains is the image of ash covering what used to be vegetation, burnt cars, and some residents trying to assess the state of their homes. Houses have also been burned and swallowed by flames in Monte Gallo. On Via Saffo, one of the streets most affected by the fire, one of the apartment buildings has caught fire. Watching it with desperate eyes is the father of one of the residents, who is currently searching for accommodation with his partner and their nine dogs. He is astonished at those in charge of prevention: “For months, we had been asking the forestry department to come and inspect and remove the weeds surrounding our home, as well as the tree whose branches have now reached inside the houses,” says Ignazio Benigno, pointing to the burnt vegetation around him. “After months, a government official promised that someone would come. No one showed up.”
The three-story building is completely burnt: the roofs are black, as is the facade, and very little remains inside. “They keep passing us around,” continues Mr. Ignazio, “claiming that this area belongs to Bagheria or other districts. Someone needs to take responsibility for this area, right?” The account of that night reveals regret for the assistance provided: “We are grateful to the police and the volunteers from the civil protection agency,” emphasizes Marco Geloso, another resident of Via Saffo. “They gave us a big hand. However, the firefighters arrived late. We, the residents, were the ones confronting the flames, first by wetting our gardens with water hoses and then supplying water to the civil protection pumps.” His well-maintained garden fortunately acted as a firebreak for the other villas: “I always take care of the garden,” he says. “Fortunately, the flames couldn’t progress, they didn’t catch on and remained behind the rockfall protection fence.”
While residents in Mondello can breathe a sigh of relief, albeit not all of them, the situation in Borgo Nuovo is still very difficult. The residents of the area have relied on do-it-yourself solutions since the beginning of the fires that devastated the neighborhood. Scenes have been the same in recent hours as in previous days: men, women, and young people at the forefront of the emergency, this time armed not with water hoses but with tools and whatever remains alive after the grip of the flames. The worst was experienced in Via Erice, where some storage units caught fire and filled the neighborhood with smoke, forcing the population to leave their homes. “From number 31 to number 25, many families with children and elderly residents live,” recounts Mrs. Rita, a resident of number 25, acting as a spokesperson. “The police ordered us to leave our homes, and now we don’t know if and when we will be able to return. We have been calling the fire department, the police, and the carabinieri for hours to get information, but like when we were surrounded by the flames, we are not getting any response. What should we do?”
In the meantime, a network of solidarity has been activated for them, composed of volunteers and local clergy, coordinated by the president of the district (the fifth), Andrea Aiello. “Thanks to the priest of the parish of San Giuseppe di Passo di Rigano and the Sisters of Christ the King on Via Petrazzi, we have launched a community network between volunteers and the local area,” explains Aiello. “This is for the families who have lost their homes and those who still do not know if their homes are habitable or not. We have identified the families and have chosen to accommodate them in some hotels, as well as opening the Santa Cristina social center where some families have had lunch.” To expand the network, “a gastronomy venue will host 12 families in the evenings, hoping to give them moments of tranquility,” emphasizes the district president. He continues, “The rescuers arrived when there was nothing left to do. I thank the law enforcement officers and firefighters for their work, but there was a guilty delay. Borgo Nuovo is not just a territory for electoral purposes; it needs infrastructure, economy, and attention. What happened occurred because all of this is lacking.”
Palermo dopo gli incendi: è il momento della conta dei danni. I residenti: «Siamo stati lasciati soli»
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