A large fire swept through a Roma camp in the Japigia district of Bari on Saturday morning, destroying five dwellings and forcing the evacuation of about 80 people, including 26 children. No injuries were reported.
The blaze began around 10:15 a.m. in a single shack before spreading to a waste dump and an adjacent waste-management facility operated by Eco Dim, near the SS16 highway exit on the city's outskirts. A column of black smoke was visible across much of Bari, prompting environmental agency technicians to test the air for hazardous gases. Firefighters deployed roughly ten vehicles and a helicopter, securing about 15 LPG cylinders at the site.
Mayor Vito Leccese visited the camp, where displaced families will be housed temporarily in Civil Protection tents. The settlement is normally home to around 150 residents.