article_detail

 

Spain is battling through one of its worst forest fire seasons in living memory, with more than 20,000 hectares of land scorched in August alone, thousands of people evacuated from their homes and tragically, the death of a volunteer firefighter in León.

 

Following a wildfire in Tarifa’s Sierra de la Plata earlier in the week that forced more than 2,000 residents to flee from the properties, Andalucía has been hit with another terrifying blaze.

 

The latest fire erupted on Thursday August 14 in the Los Ortejones area of Mijas, a stretch of scrubland notorious for its dryness during the summer months. Plan Infoca, the Andalucían Forest Firefighting Service, quickly mobilised to contain the flames, which spread between Alhaurín El Grande and Fuengirola.

 

Initial efforts saw helicopters, fire engines and several groups of forest firefighters rushed to the scene, supported by operations technicians and an environmental officer. Local firefighters from Mijas and Marbella joined the battle, ensuring the fire did not threaten nearby homes or La Cala Golf.

 

By early evening, the flames had been stabilised, halting their spread and giving crews the upper hand. Firefighters worked tirelessly through the night and by 9.20pm, the fire was under control.

 

In the following hours, additional teams continued their work, deploying fire engines, forest firefighter units and specialists to fully extinguish the remaining hotspots and prevent any resurgence.

 

 

Image: INFOCA