PALERMO – The fires menacing Palermo, first thought to be fueled by high temperatures and wind, are suspected to have more sinister roots linked to the Mafia, police officials report.

 The suspicion arises from the all to coincidental timing of the fires, which burst in to flame in different locations across the city, around the same hour. This coupled with the fact that the temperature was little over 24 degrees in Cefalu where one fire that started, have led to the misgivings of Fabrizio Curcio, the head of Italy's civil protection.

 Sicily President Rosario Crocetta endorsed Curcio’s position, saying he also believed that organised crime was behind the fires. “I suspect criminal involvement as it is always Palermo’s most valuable areas that are targeted” he added, speaking to the Repubblica. Cefalu, a historic coastal town, which was one of the locations hit the hardest by the fires, is a popular tourist spot.

 Houses and hotels have been evacuated, the A20 motorway from Palermo to Messina closed and numerous railway services suspended as a result.  While replacement transport links are being put in place, the inconvenience to the island as a whole is undeniable. Meanwhile in Monreale on Thursday, around 30 children attending the nursery, “Il Girasole” had to be rushed out to safety. “All the children are safe” reported the mayor, Piero Capizzi, “They had inhaled fumes, but no one has suffered intoxication.” He confirms that the situation is now under control but that everyone has experienced a great level of fear as a result of the fires.

 The mayor of Cefalu, Rosario Lapunzina, raised his concerns of the security implications that resulted from the closure of the A20 motorway, which “leaves tourists almost totally isolated, only reachable by a state road” which is often walked by holidaymakers. However, measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of all at risk.

 In Poggia Maria, foresters and firefighters have worked together with local volunteers in order to come to the rescue of a young girl who was trapped inside her own home, engulfed by flames. Various homes and buildings have been damaged by the fires, and the Hotel Costa Verde in Buonfornello has had to be completely evacuated for precaution. Other members of the security services had to rush to save several drivers who were trapped in their cars in a tunnel, which the fires had started to immerse.

 Currently there are 83 fire-fighters in service to battle the relentless fires and while courageous and admirable efforts are being made to bring the situation under control, the state of emergency issued by the Prefecture of Palermo on Thursday still stands.

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