Forest fires in the popular Mediterranean resort of Costa del Sol (resorts of Malaga, Marbella, Benalmadena, and Estepona), which the Spanish media managed to call “apocalyptic”, led to the immediate evacuation of thousands of tourists and locals. And for the areas where the fire broke out, a warning was issued “to prepare for a possible preventive eviction.”
In the power of the elements were primarily the favorite resorts of tourists Benahavis and Montemayor. This is where the authorities dared to evacuate people.
The fire broke out around 3:00 pm on June 8 in the municipality of Pugherra. According to experts, the fire is similar to the one that hit the area in September 2021.
About 140 firefighters battled the blaze on Wednesday, authorities raised the alarm level from one to two on Wednesday night. Officials also called for the military to help deal with the horrific blaze at the Costa del Sol resort.
Andalusian Junta President Juanma Moreno wrote on Twitter that three firefighters were injured in the blaze. The official Twitter account of the INFOCA forest fire extinguishing service published the following message: “Three firefighters were injured while carrying out firefighting tasks. In one of them, 25 percent of the body was affected by burns – the victim was transferred to Malaga hospital. ”
Residents of Montemayor, Benahavis, and the Marbella Golf Club have been ordered to evacuate from their homes and hotels. The military set aside only an hour for the meeting. However, according to local newspapers, the fire is spreading quickly, so other coastal areas and tourists who are resting there are in the danger zone. It’s about thousands of people.
One eyewitness told the local media: “I saw the fire first at one point and then at another, and soon a third appeared, there was a lot of smoke coming from three different sources.”
Flames and smoke were seen from the popular tourist areas of Estepona and Marbella on Wednesday. High temperatures and strong winds in the province of Malaga have created conditions for the spread of fire.
We also quote eyewitness comments: “We are currently in Idabi, where a cloud of ash began to cover the sky, and small pieces of ash fly over us,” “Tonight the clubs of apocalyptic smoke over Estepona (province of Malaga) cover the sun.”
The El Batefuegos information account warned people not to use drones to shoot the fire: “The images from the drone are impressive, but remember that they cannot fly into the airspace of a forest fire. You can seriously disrupt air operations and endanger many lives. ” In addition, experts urged tourists not to use highways unnecessarily, as at any moment may again need a corridor to evacuate large numbers of people. “Prepare for a possible preventive eviction,” rescuers warned and advised tourists and residents to follow the advice of local authorities.