ROME -- An investigation has been opened into potential malice which caused a large scale fire in the city on Wednesday afternoon, injuring four emergency workers, Rome's public prosecutor's office has said.

 One firefighter and three members of the civil protection agency were taken to hospital on Wednesday afternoon in a serious condition after attempting to put out a fire in Rome’s Cinecittà est and Torre Spaccata neighbourhoods. Three are being treated in Rome’s major burns unit at Sant’Eugenio Hospital while the other is in intensive care, Il Fatto Quotidiano has reported.

 The firefighter and civil protection agency members responded to a fire which started on wasteland at around 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon but were seriously burnt while attempting to put out the blaze. According to reports, the injured workers have been sedated in hospital and fitted with breathing tubes.

 The flames spread from Via Bruno Pelizzi on Wednesday and threatened to burn down surrounding buildings, with some residents in the local area evacuated. Helicopters were seen in the area around 3:00 p.m. as firefighters looked to put out the blaze and, by around 6:00 p.m, the fire had been extinguished. Fire services have since remained in the area to ensure fires do not start again.

 A statement from Roberto Gualtieri’s office, the mayor of Rome, said the flames were “stoked by the strong wind which unfortunately caused the injuries to three civil protection agency members and one firefighter.”

 Italy’s Home Secretary, Matteo Piantendosi, released a message on Wednesday thanking emergency services for tackling the blaze.

 “I want to express again my deep gratitude to the men and women in the fire service and to those who, in these summer months, are working tirelessly, often risking their own safety, to tackle the forest fires that are damaging our country.”

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