Severe forest fires in Italy: fire brigade had to turn out 800 times | Abroad

On the island of Sicily alone, the fire brigade had to come into action 250 times. A fire just outside the eastern coastal city of Catania forced the local airport, popular with tourists, to be temporarily shut down. About 150 people trapped in the flames near Catania were taken to safety by police boat.

According to the regional government, some fires have been set. The authorities expect the highest fire risk level for eastern and northern Sicily on Saturday, with temperatures around 40 degrees. The heat wave is expected to last all week.

Wildfires are also raging in the southern regions of Puglia, Calabria and Campania and in the Lazio region, which includes the capital Rome. The island of Sardinia had already been hit hard before.

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