How Arsonists Used Cats to Spread Wildfires Across Italy

In what can only be described as one of the most disturbing stories coming out of Europe this year, officials in Italy are describing how arsonists are sacrificing cats to stoke the flames of a rash of wildfires. Here is a look at the grisly discovery.

Discovery in Italy Connects Cats to Wildfires

Authorities in southern Italy are detailing how arsonists are using cats to spread fires by tying flammable-soaked rags to the animals' tails. According to a video posted on social media by Domenico Costarella of Calabria’s Civil Protection Agency, "These animals were released into the fields, running around and spreading the fire." Costarella said that his agency also found evidence that led them to believe that arson was the cause of the fires, including candles, flammable rags, and delayed ignition tools.

Fire crews have been working hard to contain the fires burning near Calabria’s Pollino National Park. Italian broadcaster RAI reported on Wednesday that crews have finished over 160 missions in this area in the last 24 hours. On a broader scale, much of Europe has been dealing with a historic wildfire season, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

The unseasonably wet winter led to more vegetation growth, going on to serve as tinder for the wildfires. The wet winter and increased vegetation have paired with multiple heat waves in Europe to fuel the extreme wildfire season that is developing. The continent's fire season is above the 20-year average, according to a new bulletin from the EFFIS.

The Italian Association for the Defense of Animals and the Environment has responded to the use of cats to spread fires by filing a criminal complaint. The group is also offering a 1,000 euro reward for information on who may have set the cats on fire.

Shockingly, this is not the first time that arsonists have used cats to spread fires in southern Italy. Authorities in Sicily blamed the mob for using felines to spread fires in 2016. The same strategy using cats was used near Naples the next year. There have been accusations that Mafia groups set fires in an effort to gain more territory.

According to journalist and former spokesman for the president of the Anti-Mafia Parliamentary Commission Sergio Nazzaro, Mafia groups use national emergencies to advance their cause. Nazzaro said that the Mafia is involved "from the labor force that sets the fire to the concession to build on burned land.”

Costralla warned that there needs to be a major societal shift to stop the arson, noting that “We are getting back to work and returning to our posts, but we need a shift in mindset. These are inhumane acts. Sadly, men are their own worst enemies.”

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