Mount Vesuvius: Mafia accused of starting Naples bushfire 'by setting cats alight'

'Three ignition points are too many to be the result of carelessness or combustion'

Huge clouds of smoke drift over Naples from fires on Mount Vesuvius (AP Images)

The Italian mafia has been accused of starting the major wildfires that have spread across the slopes of Mount Vesuvius near Naples, leading to scores of evacuations.

The burned corpses of cats have been found at the scene, according to Italian media reports, leading to speculation that arsonists may be involved. The mafia has previously been found to have used the animals to start fires, pouring petrol on them before setting them alight in order to spread fire throughout the undergrowth.

Last year it was revealed that the gangs had tied petrol-soaked rags to the tail of one and set it alight as it ran into Nebrodi regional park in Sicily.

Hundreds of firefighters and four Italian army patrols were deployed alongside Civil Protection workers and volunteers to combat the flames on the volcano in the past few days.

Dozens of tourists and locals were evacuated, including 50 families.

Italian mafia expert and journalist Roberto Saviano blamed the Mount Vesuvius wildfires on “criminal organisations” in a 3-minute video published to his Facebook page.

The best-selling writer said that the Campanian National Park fires were caused by those who either wanted to burn waste in illegal landfill sites, or to halt construction work.

He talked about blackmail in the social media post, insinuating that if people did not pay criminal organisations, they would start fires to block building permits.

Mr Saviano also claimed that Italy “cannot understand” who was really responsible and criticised the government's “inability to respond to emergencies”.

The video has since gained 24,000 likes and 18,000 shares.

Local authorities had originally suggested that a series of surface fires was to blame and that they were not thought to be as a result of human activity.

But according to the Local, both public prosecutors and police have said they now believe that arsonists are to blame.

Police questioned a suspect caught by video surveillance on Thursday evening, local newspaper La Repubblica di Napoli reported.

Talking to the Corriere della Serra, Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said “arsonists are criminal idiots”.

He added that they should be punished with “more than 20 years in jail”.

“I don’t have proof, but it does not seem to be an isolated action or chance: three ignition points are too many to be the result of carelessness or combustion."

Neapolitan Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe told the Local: “Those who, thinking they can act with impunity, have decided to destroy the environment, have placed themselves outside God’s grace and mortal sin.”

Mr Saviano has written several books, including international bestsellers Gomorrah and ZeroZeroZero.