Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes on the island of Sardinia as wildfires ravaged an estimated 10,000 acres of forest.
Several buildings were damaged as the flames spread towards residential areas in the mountainous area of Montiferru on Saturday night.
The fire was still raging on Sunday but no deaths or injuries have so far been reported.
Authorities evacuated 200 people from the town of Cuglieri overnight after the flames reportedly reached the central square. Another 155 were removed from Sennariolo.
In nearby Santu Lussurgiu, the mayor Diego Loi ordered 60 people to leave their homes in the area closest to the fire. “It’s a disaster,” he said on Facebook. “And we fear the worst. We need maximum deployment of all means to avoid irreparable damage... Saint Lussurgiu, protect us.”
A second fire was also reported near the town of Usellus, further south in the same province of Oristano.
The island's forestry agency said in a post on Facebook that it was a "tragic day".
"In Usellus the cursed fire entered forest areas, devastating hectares of cork," the agency said.
"In Santu Lussurgiu, Cuglieri and Scano Montiferru the flames run, and after devastating the forest garrison of Pabarile, it travelled through the territory of Cuglieri and now reaches Scano Montiferru.
"It's gonna be a hard night. We fight against this plague, in any way, for our tormented land."
The head of the island’s civil protection agency, Antonio Belloi, said eleven aircraft including seven Canadair were working to put out the flames.
Additional reporting by agencies
