A vast fire that broke out in the mountains around Palermo’s Falcone – Borsellino airport reached the perimeter of the airport which was closed to traffic until 11 am. Teams of firefighters are working to put out the flames. Currently 8 flights have been cancelled.
The fires that have been burning the Inserra district in Palermo for hours are threatening the Cervello hospital. Firefighters have been busy with extinguishing operations since last night. This is confirmed by the Civil Protection. The flames licked the Palermo-Mazara Del Vallo highway. The Villagrazia Carini and Cinisi junctions have been closed.
Interventions by Canadairs and fire brigade teams continued throughout the day in the areas affected by the fires, also with the aid of a helicopter. The extinguishing operations, hampered by the temperatures that yesterday exceeded 42 degrees and by the southwest wind that reached 25 kilometers per hour, are also continuing during the night. A light tower was installed in the Bellolampo landfill to illuminate the area where reclamation works are underway. The workers of Rap, the company that manages the waste collection service, continue to pour earth on the tank in which the fire developed to try to prevent the blaze from bringing the Palermo plant to its knees. Other vast fires are also affecting the province in Terrasini, Cinisi, Monreale, Piana degli Albanesi and San Cipirello. Established in Palermo the municipal emergency operations center due to the fires enveloping the hills around the capital. The fires concern in particular the mountain of Capo Gallo, the promontory overlooking the seaside resort of Mondello, and the hill of Bellolampo, where one of the tanks of the municipal landfill is burning with poisonous fumes. Several homes in the Pizzo Sella area and the seaside village have been abandoned by the residents because they were threatened by flames or because of the unbreathable air. The Civil Protection invites you not to leave the house due to the dioxin risk.
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