On 28 March 2026, a wildfire fighting exercise was held in the Karst area between Duino and Monfalcone as part of the CROSS ALERT project. The exercise involved the CROSS ALERT project partners, the regional Civil Protection department, municipal AIB teams, and volunteer associations. The main goal was to test innovative procedures and techniques for managing wildfires in scenarios characterized by high operational complexity.
Particularly, systems for using water-carrying units to create anchor lines for indirect attack were tested—an increasingly important technique when fire intensity exceeds the capacity of direct suppression. The exercise allowed for the on-site verification of the effectiveness of the solutions developed by the project and helped strengthen coordination among various operational components, especially by reducing pressure on the local water network and using alternative methods to supply firefighting vehicles with water.
The CROSS ALERT project and exercise contribute to improving operational preparedness and enhancing territorial resilience to wildfires, which is crucial in light of changing climate conditions and the growing wildfire risk.
