On Saturday, the island's province of Oristano was struck by a heatwave coming from Africa, setting dry grass ablaze, which caused a larger conflagration further down the line. Now, multiple areas of Oristano are engulfed in flames, making residents leave their homes in a hurry.
The blaze has been fought by fire teams along with the forest service, the civil protection service, and volunteers for almost 24 hours. Overall, some 7,500 people, seven special planes and 13 helicopters are involved in the effort.
According to the island's authorities, the fire has already burned through about 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) of vegetation areas, ruined several residential and service buildings and killed cattle.
Christian Solinas, the president of Sardinia, has requested emergency economic assistance from the central government.