In Tuscany, Italy, 100 firefighters are still fighting a major forest fire near the city of Lucca on Wednesday.

About 500 residents of the area of the municipality of Massarosa have been brought to safety from the flames, the fire service announced on Wednesday.

More than 100 firefighters are on the scene, according to the fire department. Four firefighting planes and a helicopter support the firefighting operations from the air. The operation has been going on since last Sunday.

For weeks, firefighters across the country have been fighting wildfires. On the holiday islands of Sicily and Sardinia, there is an increased, sometimes even the highest, warning level for forest fires.

The fires often spread quickly due to the ongoing drought and are fanned by the wind. In addition, the fires are often caused by negligence or arson.