In 2022, 40% of forest ecosystems burned less than the previous year. Value still higher than the average of the last 10 years
Sicily remains the Region with the most ecosystems in focus
In 2022, Italy was affected by fires of medium and large size (over one hectare) for more than 68,500 hectares (ha), an area almost equal to the size of the Gran Paradiso National Park. Even if this surface represents less than half of what was burned the previous year (40%), the figure is still higher than the average value of the areas burned annually in Italy in the last 10 years, between 2012 and 2021 (55,000 ha).
Of what burned in 2022, more than 20% consisted of forest ecosystems, in particular deciduous broad-leaved trees (oak and beech woods, about 6800 ha), evergreen broad-leaved trees (holm oaks and Mediterranean maquis, about 4700 ha) and evergreen coniferous trees (Mediterranean pine forests, almost 2700 ha). Exceptionally, in 2022, a forested portion with alpine deciduous coniferous trees was also affected (larch woods, 16 ha).