Heavy toll. Two people died Friday following forest fires in northern Sicily, where a hotel housing 700 tourists was evacuated for a few hours, civil protection officials and media said.
A 42-year-old woman died after trying to save her horses in Cefalu, east of Palermo, Italy's civil protection said Friday night. She was accompanied by her father and brothers, but was possibly disoriented by the heat and smoke, before slipping into a ravine.
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A 68-year-old man also died after fleeing his burning home near Balestrate, west of Palermo, Italian news agency Ansa reported Saturday.
700 hotel guests evacuated
About 700 guests at the Costa Verde hotel, near Cefalu, were evacuated to a local gym late Friday, but they were able to return to their accommodation around 2 a.m. on Saturday once the danger of fires had passed, Ansa said.
Rain is forecast from Saturday for several days, enough to help the work of firefighters very active in the night from Friday to Saturday throughout northern Sicily.
