The huge fire which engulfed the Miżieb woodland on Saturday covered an area six times the size of the Floriana Granaries. 

According to the hunting federation, FKNK, which manages the green space used by both hunters and nature lovers alike, the blaze could very well have scorched an area of around 55,000 square metres.  

The estimate was published by the federation over the weekend as emergency responders were busy battling the flames. 

Emmanuel Psaila, who heads the Civil Protection Department told Times of Malta that the inferno was one of the largest he had come across in his 20 years of firefighting. 

“It was, without a doubt, the largest I have seen in recent years after taking over the department,” he added.  

In all, 16 firefighters battled the flames in the Miżieb area around the clock between Saturday and Sunday morning, as little pockets of scorched earth kept reigniting under the searing heat of an intense June sun. 

“It was, without a doubt, the largest I have seen in recent years” – CPD head

Firefighters said that had they not remained on site to ensure the fire was contained, the damage to the woodland would have been far greater. 

At approximately 850,000 square metres, the Miżieb woodland is one of the country’s largest green areas and a major habitat for migrating and local species.  

By Sunday morning, large tracts of the greenspace smouldered and smoked – where once stood indigenous carob and Holm Oak trees, today there remains little more than ash. 

The Hunters’ Federation said they suspected the fire may not have been a natural occurrence and have since reported the matter to the police for an investigation. 

The hunters lashed out against “continuous vandalism” to the area, calling for adequate surveillance and enforcement to crack down on the abuse.

The fire at its peak on Saturday.

Damage to be assessed by experts

Environmental experts will assess the damage caused by the fire.

A spokesman for Environment Minister José Herrera told Times of Malta that a team of experts from Ambjent Malta and the Environment and Resources Authority would be analysing the extent of the damage caused to the area. 

The team would also be trying to pinpoint what caused the fire and draft an action plan to avoid future recurrences. 

It is still unclear how many trees have been lost to the blaze. 

Sources involved in the policing of the natural environment said that the fire could have been the result of one of three possible factors. 

“Yesterday farmers were burning dry grass in nearby fields so that could have caused the outbreak," a spokesperson said on Sunday.  

“This could also have been the result of some trash which was abandoned in the countryside and caught fire in the blazing sun. 

“Or, this fire could have just been a natural event. It remains to be seen which of these the actual cause was,” the sources said.