Dozens of fires rage across Lazio

(ANSA) - Rome, August 23 - A continuing spate of fires across Italy's central Lazio region and in the capital on Tuesday gave rise to an emergency. Flames raging until late Monday evening shut down the railway line to the airport and some 30 fires were reported on Tuesday in Lazio, mainly brush fires. Several fire squads and two helicopters battled flames on Monte Mario near a regional nature park starting from 10 AM and a home for the elderly has been evacuated as a precautionary measure. The fire is near a major hospital, the Policlinico Gemelli, towards which the flames were under control in the afternoon but concerns remained that strong wind might negatively affect the emergency situation. Since January 1, some 388 forest fires have been recorded in the region.