Vacation paradise under attack as officials suspect arsonists may be behind inferno

Firefighters were deployed in both aerial and ground operations to combat the blaze that broke out in scrubland near Amalfi.

Efforts to extinguish the fire continued uninterrupted along the coast after the blaze erupted Monday evening, according to Reuters.

Fire crews worked through the night to prevent the flames from reaching residential areas, and no injuries or damage to homes were reported.

A total of seven ground teams and three aircraft were deployed as part of the firefighting operation, according to the Turkish news organization Anadolu Agency.

As a precaution, some restaurants and facilities in key locations were evacuated as concerns grew among tourists staying in the region, the news outlet reported.

The flames reached much of the state road - which was closed to ensure safe firefighting operations - and descended toward Positano.

It also threatened upper mountain hamlets in the Capo d'Acqua area before Montepertuso, between Positano and Santa Maria del Castello, according to local newspapers.

Guida expressed fears that the loss of centuries-old trees would trigger major hydrogeological disruption and landslides once the first rains arrived, Il Mattino reported.

Guida acknowledged the economic toll on the destination, noting that travelers were frightened during what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation. 

She urged anyone with information about the fires to speak up, according to the newspaper.

Sorrento Mayor Corrado Fattorusso released an official statement expressing solidarity with the administrations and communities of the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast, according to local news outlet Il Sole 24 Ore.

As of midweek, fire crews were still working to extinguish the remaining hot spots in areas around the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula, according to numerous reports.