Italy on Sunday asked for help from neighboring European countries to fight the fires that are devastating part of Sardinia where hundreds of residents have been forced to leave their homes.
"This is an unprecedented disaster
,
"
island governor Christian Solinas said, as hot winds complicated efforts to try to contain the flames.
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Some 1,200 people were evacuated from their homes, including residents of a medical institution, according to Rai News.
Frightened tourists were among those fleeing the small coastal village of Porto Alabe, the same source said.
Canadair planes drew water off the coast of Porto Alabe, before hovering over properties near the shore and spraying burning vegetation just behind the houses.
Two planes from France
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Facebook that Italian Civil Protection had asked other European countries to provide them with planes to fight the fire.
Two Canadair have already left France, he said.
A large region in the province of Oristano (west of the island) is
"on its knees because of the devastating fire
,
"
said the minister.
“Hundreds of people were evacuated and the whole area, including homes, was engulfed in flames and damaged,”
he said.
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Some 20,000 hectares of vegetation have been consumed, properties damaged and animals killed, the governor said.
The level of dangerousness of the fire remains
"extreme"
, underlined the Civil Protection.
Some 7,500 people involved in the relief operation, including members of the forest police and the Red Cross, were helping evacuees and those in danger, firefighters said.
It is too early to assess the extent of the destruction caused by the disaster, said Christian Salinas, who intends to ask the government for help to carry out the reforestation.
