At the serious fires on the Italian island in the Mediterranean Sicilia two people died. In trapeze close to the island’s capital Palermo A man died while evacuating his home, police announced Saturday. Close to the city Cefalu A 42-year-old woman died while trying to free horses from a burning stable.
More than 700 tourists were rescued from a hotel to safety. According to regional authorities, they managed to return to their accommodation on Saturday night.
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High temperatures and Scirocco winds from Africa promote fires
The fires were fueled by high temperatures exceeding 35 degrees and drought, as well as the hot Scirocco wind from Africa, which repeatedly causes problems in Sicily. In total, more than 50 fires were recorded. The northern part of Italy’s largest island was particularly affected.
A building on a university campus in Palermo had to be evacuated. Several schools and a section of the island’s highway were closed. Rescue teams were in constant use with firefighting aircraft.