Authorities in southern Italy are investigating a series of devastating wildfires after discovering disturbing evidence that points to deliberate arson. Officials in the Calabria region said they found cats with flammable-soaked rags tied to their tails. According to civil protection authorities, the frightened animals were released into fields, where they unknowingly spread the flames as they ran.

Officials also found other signs of planned arson. These included candles placed among flammable materials and delayed ignition devices. Firefighters have continued battling the blazes around Pollino National Park, completing more than 160 firefighting missions in the past 24 hours as crews work to bring the fires under control.

The Italian Association for the Defense of Animals and the Environment has filed a criminal complaint over the incident. The organization is also offering a €1,000 reward for information that leads to those responsible. Authorities say the cruelty shown toward the animals has shocked the country and renewed calls for stronger action against those who deliberately start wildfires.

This is not the first time authorities have linked such tactics to organized crime. Similar cases were reported in Sicily in 2016 and near Mount Vesuvius in 2017, where officials alleged Mafia groups used animals to ignite fires. Researchers and anti-Mafia experts have said some criminal organizations intentionally set fires to gain control of land. Burned properties can later be purchased cheaply or redeveloped, including for renewable energy projects.

Europe has experienced another challenging wildfire season this year. Although fire activity across the continent has been lower than in 2025, it remains above the 20-year average, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. A wet winter encouraged vegetation growth, while several summer heatwaves left much of that vegetation dry and highly flammable.

Calabria Civil Protection official Domenico Costarella said preventing future fires will require more than emergency response efforts. He urged society to reject acts of deliberate arson, describing them as inhumane and warning that people themselves remain one of the greatest threats to their own communities.