Manoel Island fire did no major damage, ministry says

A fire which broke out on Manoel Island on Saturday night did no major damage to the island and its biodiversity, the Environment Ministry said on Sunday.

Parts of the island went up in flames late at night, most likely caused by stray fireworks from nearby feasts. Pictures circulating on social media showed various parts of the island on fire, as members of the Civil Protection Department controlled the flames.

“Last night, fire swept parts of Manoel Island. Immediately upon receiving this news, members from both the Enforcement Directorate within the Environment and Resources Authority and Ambjent Malta went on site,” the ministry said.

“The fire did not cause major damage to the area’s vegetation. Experts noted the presence of acacia trees that were scorched as a result of the fire, along with seasonal vegetation that does not classify as protected flora.”

According to the statement, fires were controlled in three separate parts of the island, spread across three hectares of land. “Though sizeable, they did not include any considerable damage to the biodiversity of the site.

It said the civil protection department was on site to further extinguish the fire.