ROME -- A fire has broken out near the Court of Appeal in Rome at around lunchtime according to the fire brigade. 

  The flames, which have created a high volume of smoke visible throughout the Monte Mario area, have been further complicated by the change in wind direction. Police, 10 fire brigade teams, and a helicopter have all been deployed in a bid to control the fire. 

  The nearby RAI headquarters, Italy’s national public broadcasting company, have been evacuated, and the broadcast on RAI1 has been suspended. 40 people were also evacuated from the Astronomical Observatory in the area. 

  “The flames were already so high early in the afternoon, we saw the column of smoke, black and dense, and then we heard a few explosions," one Monte Mario resident said. 

lw