Italian police have detained 15 volunteer firefighters in southern Sicily accused of starting fires in order to get paid to put them out.
意大利警方日前拘留了西西里岛南部的15名志愿消防队员,他们被指控纵火,目的是凭借扑火来赚取报酬。
In the alleged fraud, the volunteers rang the emergency 115 number themselves or got friends or relatives to do it. Their commander allegedly skipped shifts in order to start fires.
在指控的诈骗案件中,这些志愿者们亲自,或是让他们的亲戚朋友打115电话报警。据称,他们的头目甚至为了纵火,跳过了排班。
The team, in the Ragusa district, came under suspicion because they were called out more often than others.
由于拉格萨地区的消防队员比其他地区的人员更频繁地出警,所以受到了怀疑。
Each was paid about euro10 (pound 9) an hour.
他们每个人的工资是每小时10欧元(约9英镑)。
Italians are sweltering in a heatwave that has pushed temperatures above 40℃ (104℉) and dried out the vegetation, making wildfires common.
近来,热浪让意大利人闷热难耐,当地气温超过40摄氏度(104华度),植被干燥,非常容易引起火灾。
Spain, Portugal, southern France and the Balkans have also experienced abnormally hot weather this summer.
西班牙、葡萄牙、法国南部和巴尔干半岛今年夏天也经历了异常炎热的天气。
Italian media report that most of the 15 volunteers detained in Ragusa have admitted starting fires deliberately. Ragusa is in southeastern Sicily, about 105km (65 miles) from Catania.
据意大利媒体报道,在被拘留的拉格萨地区的15名志愿者中,大多数人都承认故意纵火。拉格萨地区位于西西里岛东南部,距离卡塔尼亚约105公里(65英里)。