Italy: Rome battles wildfire in Parco del Pineto

Rome: A large wildfire broke out on Monday in Parco del Pineto, a regional park in the north of Rome, between Pineta Sacchetti and Monte Mario.

The blaze started in the early afternoon and spread quickly along the Valle dell’Inferno valley due to strong winds, according to local news reports.

Firefighters and police are at the scene and the park has been evacuated, with local residents complaining of “unbreathable” air. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Parco del Pineto, which has been an urban regional park since 1989, is home to hundreds of species of wildflowers, birds and animals.

The blaze comes exactly a week after a vast wildfire broke out in the Casalotti area near the Via Aurelia on the north-west outskirts of the Rome.