Rome, July 26, (dpa/GNA) – Wildfires continued to burn in the north of Sicily on Wednesday, particularly in Palermo Province in the north-west of the island, where dozens of hectares of forest and scrubland, have been scorched over recent days.
The fire brigade said 3,000 firefighters had been deployed, along with planes dropping water. By contrast, the situation in other parts of the island had eased by comparison with Tuesday.
Two badly burnt bodies were found on Tuesday in Cinisi, close to the airport, which lies to the west of the Sicilian capital. An elderly woman also died after an ambulance was unable to reach her, as a result of the fires, the ANSA news agency reported.
Fires were also reported on the eastern side of Sicily near Catania in the early hours of Wednesday, with strong and hot winds hampering firefighting.
On the Italian mainland, wildfires were reported from Apulia in the south-east and Calabria in the south-west.
In Apulia, around 2,000 people were evacuated from the resort of Vieste on the Adriatic coast on Tuesday evening. They were allowed to return to their homes and holiday accommodation on Wednesday morning.
Italian authorities attribute many of the blazes to negligence and even arson, with dry conditions following a heatwave, aiding the spread of the fires.
GNA