Press release no. 41/2017 The 80 Centro C.S.A.R. still committed to fighting fires in Sicily Two missions for an HH-212 aircraft taking off to combat fires in the province of Palermo The commitment to the structures of the Italian Air Force continues in the face of the fire emergency in Sicily. Yesterday, a HH-212 helicopter from the 80th Combat Search and Rescue (C.S.A.R.) Center of Decimomannu (Cagliari) took off from the air base in Trapani Birgi to extinguish a fire that had broken out in Piano di Casoboli, in the municipality of Monreale (PA). The firefighting activity involved the crew of the HH-212 in three long sorties aimed at supporting the ongoing operations, also with teams on the ground, to combat the fire, which, thanks to the North wind, spread rapidly. This morning, the Air Force helicopter was instead engaged for about two hours in the operations to extinguish a new fire that had broken out in the municipality of Carini (PA). In both situations, to make the intervention resumption faster, the helicopter of the 80th C.S.A.R. Center made a refueling stop at the airport of Palermo Boccadifalco, supported by the 4th Flight Department of the State Police. An 80th Air Base helicopter has been deployed for over 3 weeks at the base in Trapani in order to supplement and support the emergency response deployed to deal with the fire emergency in the provinces of Trapani and Palermo. From the C.O.A. (Air Operations Command) of Poggio Renatico (FE), through the Operations Room of the 82nd Air Force Center of SAR in Trapani, the order to take off and the area of intervention are immediately communicated to the crews. The counteraction to the fire fronts of the HH-212 often takes place alongside that of the Canadair aircraft, which are always based in Trapani. The 80th Center is one of the Departments of the 15th Air Force, which ensures, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, 365 days a year, without interruption, the search and rescue of flight crews in difficulty, also contributing to public utility activities such as the search for missing people at sea or in the mountains, the emergency transport of sick people in danger of life and the rescue of seriously traumatized people, operating in any meteorological condition. Since its establishment to date, the crews of the 15th Air Force have saved more than 7100 people in danger of life.