Large fire breaks out in Rome near public TV station and court of justice

A helicopter drops water to extinguish a large fire that broke out on the slopes of the Monte Mario hill in Rome, Italy, July 31, 2024 /Guglielmo Mangiapane

ROME - A large fire broke out in Rome on Wednesday on a hill near the Italian capital's court of justice and a public TV broadcasting centre, forcing the evacuation of several buildings and offices, firefighters said.

The fire in the Monte Mario area was under control, with 10 crews on the case, the national fire department said on X, posting a video showing helicopters and fire engines, and a few burnt out parked cars.

"As things stand, I think we still have a lot of work to do," to put out the fire, the head of Rome's firefighters, Adriano De Acutis, told RAI public television.

RAI's broadcasting centre was evacuated, as well as a space observatory and six residential buildings, officials said. There were no reported injuries. RAI was also forced to cancel an afternoon live show.

"We are evacuating the studio," one of the show's presenters, Nunzia De Girolamo, said in an Instagram video. "The fire in Monte Mario is serious, we will see you tomorrow," she added.

In a daily bulletin published earlier on Wednesday, the regional office of the civil protection had warned of high risk of fires in Rome due to extreme temperatures, which in the afternoon were higher than 35 degrees Celsius (95°F).

Climate change is making wildfires more frequent, a European Commission report said in April, adding that the 2023 wildfire season in the Europe was among the worst this century.

As summer progresses, wildfires are becoming more frequent across the Mediterranean region, including in Spain, Greece and the Balkans.

-Reuters