Major fire in Rome: mouth masks advised at sold-out Maneskin concert Abroad

The fire started on Saturday afternoon in the Centocelle park in the east of the city. Due to the drought and strong winds, the fire quickly spread to the residential area next to the park and some nearby car scrap yards. Several demolition companies are said to be on fire, several local residents have heard loud bangs.

Residents of two apartment buildings near the seat of the fire have been evacuated from their homes, part of the city is closed to traffic and the local government advises other residents to keep doors and windows closed. The smoke has spread through the streets, shrouding the neighborhood in a black mist. “The situation is dramatic,” says the president of the fifth borough Mauro Caliste. He advises people to wear masks if they have to go out on the street, the smoke from the car junkyards could be toxic.

While the Roman fire brigade deploys large equipment to contain the still spreading fire, a few tens of meters high cloud of black smoke hangs over the Italian capital. Even in the center of Rome, about ten kilometers as the crow flies from the seat of the fire, the column of smoke is clearly visible and you can smell it. At the Circus Maximus, in the heart of the city center, 70,000 fans have gathered to attend the sold-out Maneskin concert tonight. That concert was already controversial because of the flaring corona pandemic, now the authorities are once again urging visitors to wear mouth masks during the concert.

There have been several major fires in Rome in recent weeks. Last Monday, a pine forest in the north of the Italian capital was on fire, even then several buildings had to be evacuated as a precaution. Several dozen hectares of pine trees were lost in the fire.

Later in the week, the police found several fires, indicating that the fire had been started. The fire on Saturday afternoon is also suspected to be the work of a pyromaniac. “Police need to find out if it’s a single arsonist or if organized crime is behind it,” said Claudio Mancini, MP for the centre-left Partito Democratico.

The damage from Saturday’s fire is still unclear, but it is certain that again several hectares of greenery have been lost. There is also minor damage to some flats and several cars burned out.

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