Positano, nighttime fire on the hillside: landslide on the Amalfi state road, closed at kilometer 16.300

A story that the morning did not tell, and one that produced, within a few hours, a material effect on one of the coast’s busiest roads: the state road 163 “Amalfitana” is closed in both directions at kilometer 16.300.

The fire broke out around 2am in the night between Saturday and Sunday, September 13, in the San Pietro area of Positano, in the province of Salerno. Fueled by wind, the flames climbed the hillside and affected a broad stretch of vegetation, coming close to homes and tourist facilities. The reconstruction comes from Adnkronos, AGI, SalernoToday and Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli, which cite the fire brigade and Anas.

The fire and the road

The consequence that changed the shape of the day is not the fire front itself, but what it left behind: a landslide on the state road. The slope affected by the fire descends toward the roadway, and the fallen material made it necessary to halt traffic in both directions. Anas personnel are removing the debris and carrying out the checks needed to restore circulation.

Fire brigade teams from Maiori, Sorrento, Nocera and Naples intervened on site, along with the provincial command of Salerno, supported by aircraft. The presence of firefighting aircraft indicates a front that could not be tackled by ground intervention alone: along the coast the slopes are steep and access roads are few.

Parked cars

The Municipality of Positano issued a notice to residents on its social media channels, asking owners of vehicles parked along the affected stretch “to remove them immediately, to allow the passage of rescue vehicles.”

It is a detail that says much about the morphology of the place: in an urban fabric squeezed between rock and sea, parking along the roadway can block the only available access route for water tankers and support vehicles. The Municipality’s request is not an administrative formality, but an operational condition of the intervention.

No injuries, at the moment

At the time of publication there are no reported injuries or evacuations. This is the most significant piece of information of the day and should be read for what it is: a snapshot of the current situation, not a final tally. Operations are underway and any subsequent update — in either direction — will be reported as such.

What we do not know

We do not know the origin of the fire: none of the available sources indicates a cause, and this newspaper does not cover investigations. We do not know the extent of the area burned, nor the number of homes or facilities actually affected: the sources speak of spreading toward buildings, not of buildings involved. We do not know the expected timeframe for reopening the state road, which depends on the outcome of the technical checks underway.

Kilometer 16.300 of state road 163 remains closed in both directions: those traveling along the coast today will find altered traffic conditions, and operational information is being passed on through notices from Anas and the Municipality.