The impacts of wildfires on people, structures, infrastructure, and the environment are widely recognized by the scientific community, and continue to raise awareness about a phenomenon affecting regions across Europe and globally. Wildfires represent a significant challenge for emergency management teams, requiring the simultaneous management of multiple issues. When critical infrastructure is compromised, mitigation efforts can be hindered, which increases the complexity of disaster response and necessitates adaptive management strategies.
This study analyzes the educational value of the 2018 wildland fire in Taibon Agordino, northern Italy, focusing on the learning outcomes derived from the coordinated emergency response. The Taibon event highlights the importance of well-structured disaster management frameworks, as well as the educational benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration during crises. The response began immediately after the initial call, activating all emergency services in accordance with pre-established regional wildfire protocols, which served as a teaching model for emergency management teams in other regions. Despite early setbacks, such as strong winds hindering rescue operations, the innovative use of a Civil Protection helicopter to safely retrieve stranded hikers demonstrated the practical application of rescue techniques and adaptive problem-solving in a high-risk environment.
Throughout the night, mixed rescue teams—including members from the National Firefighters Corps and the National Alpine Rescue Corps—worked together, providing valuable lessons in inter-agency coordination, decision-making under pressure, and resource allocation. This event offers a significant case study for exploring team dynamics, leadership challenges, and crisis communication in large-scale emergencies.
In addition to the immediate operational response, the involvement of various stakeholders such as local government officials, environmental agencies, and volunteer organizations emphasized the importance of collaboration at multiple levels of government and civil society. Regular coordination meetings allowed for the sharing of critical information across local, regional, and national levels, demonstrating how such collaborative efforts can be leveraged to improve disaster preparedness and enhance decision-making in future crises.
One critical learning aspect from this event is the “domino effect,” where the initial wildfire triggered a series of secondary consequences, potentially more severe than the fire itself. This phenomenon underscores the importance of risk evaluation, scenario planning, and the need for ongoing education on cascading disaster impacts.
This study aims to not only provide a detailed analysis of the Taibon Agordino wildfire and the evacuation strategy, but also to offer insights into how such events can be used to educate future emergency responders. By focusing on the educational benefits of the case study, this research seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of emergency management training, with a particular emphasis on preparing responders to address both immediate crises and secondary disasters that may arise in their aftermath.

Keywords: Lessons Learned, Evacuation, Wildfire.