Estonian firefighters shared their experiences fighting fires in Sardinia
Estonian firefighters who helped extinguish forest and wildland fires on the Italian island of Sardinia described working in temperatures as high as 45 degrees and using controlled burns to contain the fires. ERR News reported this, citing Tallinn-based firefighters Sander Etverk and Kristian Kundrats.
According to Etverk, the largest fire of the season had just broken out in the area where the Estonian team was deployed. As the firefighters arrived on the island, the only firefighting plane took off—a plane that, he said, is used only during major fires.
Kundrats noted that the firefighting methods in Italy were similar to those used in Estonia. The team prepared to work with hand tools, create firebreaks ahead of the flames, and remove flammable materials. At the same time, the firefighters were able to use water and fire trucks equipped with pumps.
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To combat large fires in Italy, controlled burning is used: a separate team sets fire to a strip of land ahead of the main fire front. When the fire reaches this area, it weakens because there is no longer any combustible material ahead.
Helicopters were also deployed to help extinguish the fire. One member of the Estonian rescue team was on duty daily at the helicopter base and flew out to the fire site. A smaller helicopter with a three-person crew dropped up to 800 liters of water. A larger one transported the controlled burning team and then filled a special tank with up to four metric tons of water.
Etverk explained that it was dangerous to be present during water drops: the firefighters had about 15 seconds to move out of the path of the water stream. He cited the extreme heat and the need to constantly replenish water supplies during several hours of work as the most difficult challenges.
