Palermo airport closed due to wildfire

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 25 - Palermo airport was closed on Tuesday morning after wildfires in the hills around the Sicilian city reached the airport perimeter.
    Teams of firefighters were working to put out the blaze, and the airport was scheduled to reopen at 11 am local time.
    As of 7.30 am eight flights had been cancelled.
    The airport was also isolated by land for several hours due to a combination of road closures and the suspension of railway services to Palermo.
    The fires are affecting in particular the Capo Gallo mountain, the promontory overlooking the seaside resort of Mondello, and the Bellolampo hill, where on Monday night part of the local landfill was reported to be on fire and emitting poisonous fumes.
    So far, 120 families were said to have been evacuated from their homes and power cuts were reported in many parts of the city.
    Also on Tuesday, an 88-year-old woman was reported to have died in the San Martino delle Scale area after the emergency services failed to get to her in time due to the fires.
    "We have never seen anything like it in San Martino delle Scale," said a local resident.
    "We were surrounded by fire from Bellolampo and Palermo. We couldn't go anywhere. We spent the night in the square. They were terrible hours." (ANSA).