Wildfire investigators discover cats used to spread flames with fuel-soaked rags tied to tails, ‘heartbreaking’

Investigators believe that arsonists responsible for a massive wildfire spread the flames using cats.

CNN reports Domenico Costarella of Calabria’s Civil Protection Agency as saying their investigation points to arson being the root cause of a blaze in Pollino National Park, Italy, which firefighters battled for days.

Costarella revealed that he’d discovered evidence that the person or persons responsible gathered cats, tied fuel-soaked rags to their tails, and then released them into the dry undergrowth. The cats, panicked and in pain, would then spread the fire in a frantic and futile bid to escape. He added, “These are inhumane acts. Sadly, men are their own worst enemies.”

“Unimaginable animal cruelty”

CNN’s Italian affiliate SkyTG24 reports that the Italian Association for the Defense of Animals and the Environment has filed a criminal complaint and is offering a 1,000 euro reward for any information on who’s responsible.

The report quotes UC Berkeley researcher Lauren Pearson as saying organized crime is likely responsible for the blazes, saying they can use the fires as a pretext to gain territory by buying the scorched land cheaply in the aftermath.

Using cats to commit arson is, sadly, not unheard of in Italy. In 2017, the Italian mafia was accused of arson after a major wildfire on Mount Vesuvius near Naples. Charred corpses of cats were discovered at the scene, with The Independent reporting that in some cases they’d doused cats in petrol before setting them ablaze and releasing them, and in Sicily’s Nebrodi Park “the gangs had tied petrol-soaked rags to the tail of one and set it alight.”

As you might predict, this is not going down well with anyone strongly standing up against animal cruelty. On X, user @ThiaBayBee said, “Those disgraceful humans deserve to die in jail. Those poor innocent cats my god I hate humans”, @AgirlfromKitale said, “This isn’t just arson, it’s unimaginable animal cruelty. Heartbreaking”, and @papacatxyz summed it up with:

“This is absolutely sickening and cruel beyond words. Using helpless animals as tools to start fires is pure evil — they hurt the innocent, destroy homes, and put countless lives at risk all for nothing. These people deserve the harshest punishment possible, and every single one of those cats deserves safety, kindness, and justice.”

Sadly, Costarella went on to underline that stopping arson linked to organized crime isn’t as simple as arresting the specific perpetrators and that fighting organized crime requires a “societal shift”. The investigation continues.