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Rome, Oct 3 — After an exhausting summer of flying over lakes and coastlines to douse wildfires across a drought-stricken Europe, Italy's collection of striking yellow and red Canadair planes has returned to a base near Rome for repairs. Italy boasts one of the globe's largest fleets of amphibious Canadair aircraft, which can swiftly respond to fires, as they do not require landing to replenish water from lakes, reservoirs, or the sea.

This summer marked Italy's fourth-worst fire season since 2006, with 113,800 hectares scorched in 645 fires, according to data from the European EFFIS system. The 18 water bombers were kept busy, but they were also deployed overseas as part of the European Union's joint firefighting efforts, with the continent enduring a record-breaking fire season.

"At the start of the summer, we deployed to Portugal and Spain, where we faced two quite difficult situations," said Francesco Morgante, a pilot with Avincis, the firm that manages the fleet for Italy's fire service. Both nations experienced devastating blazes that threatened urban areas and tourist destinations. "After that, our own country required our full attention, particularly due to the emergency situation in northern Italy, which was quite unexpected and unusual this year," Morgante told AFP.

The Canadair water bombers, manufactured solely by Calgary-based De Havilland, are equipped with two intakes beneath the fuselage that can scoop up over 6,000 litres of water in just 12 seconds without landing and empty the load in three seconds. This makes them an "ideal tool" for combating fires, Morgante explained. "It is a versatile, flexible tool capable of tackling medium-to-large fires" and can "contain a blaze even when it is fully developed," he said.

The aircraft undergo extensive inspections in a sprawling, recently renovated hangar over several weeks following the summer. Maurizio Tomassi, head of maintenance operations at Avincis, told AFP that they aim to complete the checks by March. Upon returning to base, the final temporary location in Calabria closes on October 31, signifying the official conclusion of this year's summer season.

Western Europe recently experienced its hottest summer on record, with 540,000 hectares ablaze across the European Union between mid-June and early September. This underscores the importance of having a sufficient number of Canadair fleets available to member states. Morgante emphasized that a "slow, gradual increase in the need" for the bombers has been evident over the years, and having a fleet that meets both national and European requirements is crucial.

For the pilots, technical staff, and operational coordinators, this summer will be etched in the record books. "We didn't get that moment when a summer storm rolls in, the temperature drops by three or four degrees, and you get a two-day break before things potentially pick up again — if they pick up at all," Morgante said. "That weather 'break' simply didn't happen."

Alessandro Sette, the 50-year-old head of the operations room managing incoming requests from the Italian Civil Protection agency, concurred that it has been "an exceptional summer." Work started early each morning as the planes took off at first light, and operations typically concluded at dusk, resulting in lengthy and intense days.

However, on this unassuming late-September morning, there is no activity on the screen tracking aircraft flight paths. "Practically all the planes are on the ground," he said with satisfaction.