BURNING RING OF FIRE

Italian Island of Sardinia Devastated by Historic Wildfires

More than 50,000 acres of farmland, homes, and villages have been scorched in fires pushed by strong winds.

Firefighters on the Italian tourist island of Sardinia have been battling devastating wildfires not seen in decades. Around 50,000 acres have burned since Saturday and more than 1,000 residents and tourists have been evacuated. Homes, farms, and villages have all been destroyed, but no injuries or deaths have yet been reported. Hundreds of heads of livestock, including sheep, goats and cattle, died when they were trapped in barns on Sunday, according to the Italian fire brigade. “It is a disaster without precedent,” Christian Solinas, the regional governor said. A state of emergency has been put in place. Firefighters from France and Greece have joined the Italian crews in battling the blazes.