Wildfire in Palermo, Sicily, Burns Homes, Forces Evacuations

Large wildfires have invaded Sicily's capital city, Palermo, and other towns nearby, burning several homes and forcing many residents to evacuate.

One girl had to be rescued from a burning home while some 50 young children at a nursery in Monreale were hospitalized with smoke inhalation, according to the Local. Homes and buildings near the nursery were evacuated on Thursday due to the fire, the report added.

In Palermo, additional residential areas were evacuated on Thursday, according to ANSA News. Several homes in the city were damaged by the fires, the report added.

(MORE: Wildfires Force Evacuations in at Least 3 U.S. States)

"We’re facing a dramatic situation," Lapunzina Rosario, mayor of the coastal town of Cefalù, told the Local.

ANSA News reported that a key roadway between Palermo and Messina was also shut down by the fire.

Though the cause of these infernos has not been determined, many wildfires are started intentionally in Sicily each summer, ANSA News also said.

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