On the night of September 13, 2026, a wildfire broke out near the San Pietro and Laurito area of Positano — one of the most visited spots on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Strong winds pushed the flames across hillside vegetation as firefighters worked from both the ground and the air to contain it. By the time the blaze was brought under control later that day, a landslide had closed State Road 163, centuries-old trees were gone, and local officials were already using the word ‘deliberately.’
What Happened on the Amalfi Coast — and How Fast It Escalated
The fire started at roughly 1–2 a.m. local time on September 13, spreading fast through dry Mediterranean vegetation on the hills above Positano. Aerial resources, including helicopters, joined ground crews to fight the blaze. By the afternoon of September 13, the fire was under control — but the damage was already done. A landslide triggered by the fire debris hit State Road 163 (SS163 Amalfitana) near kilometer 16.3, forcing a full closure in both directions before the road reopened with alternating single-lane traffic.
The emergency didn’t end there. By September 15, multiple wildfire fronts were burning across the broader Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula, reaching areas between Positano, Vico Equense, and Agerola. Some homes in Agerola were evacuated as a precaution when flames came close to residential zones. No injuries were officially reported from the September 15 fires. By the morning of September 16, authorities said the situation was under control, though some hotspots remained near Agerola and upper Vico Equense. Much like other Mediterranean wildfires that have reshaped tourism hotspots, the Amalfi emergency played out in stages that local infrastructure was barely equipped to absorb.
Environmental Loss, Tourism Disruption, and an Arson Suspicion
Positano Mayor Gabriella Guida said authorities suspect the fires may have been deliberately started. Other local officials echoed the same suspicion. This remains an investigative hypothesis — no cause has been officially confirmed — but the language from local leadership has been pointed.
The environmental toll is the part that hits hardest. Officials reported damage to agricultural terraces, private gardens, Mediterranean scrubland, and trees that had been standing for centuries. The loss of that vegetation is not just an aesthetic problem: it significantly increases the area’s landslide and hydrogeological risk when heavy autumn and winter rains arrive. The Amalfi Coast is one of the most geologically fragile coastlines in Europe, built on steep cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea, and its terraced landscape depends on dense root systems to stay in place.
Tourism took a hit too. ANSA reported hotel cancellations in affected areas, and road closures along the SS163 temporarily disrupted travel along one of Italy’s most photographed coastal routes. September is peak late-season travel on the Amalfi Coast, so the timing could not have been worse for local businesses already operating on narrow margins.
- how wildfires are threatening Europe’s most iconic travel destinations
