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Fire near Rome Fiumicino airport disrupts flights Fire near Rome Fiumicino airport disrupts flights
(35 minutes later)
Rome’s Fiumicino airport briefly suspended all flights on Wednesday after a fire broke out in a nearby pine grove, spreading dense smoke across the runway. Rome’s Fiumicino airport briefly suspended all flights after a fire broke out in a nearby pine grove, spreading dense smoke across the runway.
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority said the situation was “slowly returning to normal” as firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze. The Italian Civil Aviation Authority said the situation was slowly returning to normal as firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze.
Clouds of grey smoke blown by strong winds over the runways had temporarily grounded all flights at the Italian capital’s biggest airport, which was forced to close in May after a fire devastated part of a terminal and had yet to fully reopen. Clouds of grey smoke blown by strong winds over the runways temporarily grounded all flights at the Italian capital’s biggest airport, which was forced to close in May after a fire devastated part of a terminal and had yet to fully reopen.
“Due to a fire outside Rome Fiumicino airport all departures are suspended,” Alitalia said on Twitter, while airport authorities added that arrivals were also being affected.“Due to a fire outside Rome Fiumicino airport all departures are suspended,” Alitalia said on Twitter, while airport authorities added that arrivals were also being affected.
Teams of firefighters were tackling the fire in a pine grove in Focene, next to the airport, which appeared to have been started deliberately and had spread to engulf several vehicles in a nearby car park.Teams of firefighters were tackling the fire in a pine grove in Focene, next to the airport, which appeared to have been started deliberately and had spread to engulf several vehicles in a nearby car park.
“The situation is very serious: the blaze is about 1km (about half a mile) wide,” said the mayor of Fiumicino, Esterino Montino. “The situation is very serious: the blaze is about 1km (about half a mile) wide,” said the mayor of Fiumicino, Esterino Montino. “The fire seems to have started in two or three different places. It’s difficult to intervene because the wind is blowing towards the pine grove.”
“The fire seems to have started in two or three different places. It’s difficult to intervene because the wind is blowing towards the pine grove.”
Two firefighting planes and two helicopters were helping battle the blaze, and firefighters said the smoke was slowly clearing.Two firefighting planes and two helicopters were helping battle the blaze, and firefighters said the smoke was slowly clearing.