It is unclear whether tourists are affected by the evacuations. Only last September there was a devastating fire in the affected area – presumably started by arsonists.
More than 3,000 people were brought to safety in Spain on Thursday night because of a forest fire in the tourist stronghold of the Costa del Sol.
The flames that broke out on Wednesday afternoon for reasons that are still unknown primarily threaten the 8,000-inhabitant community of Benahavis and the 300-inhabitant village of Pujerra, around a hundred kilometers west of Málaga in southern Spain, as reported by the state television station RTVE, citing regional politicians and fire department spokesmen . Three firefighters were injured.
It was initially not known whether tourists were affected by the evacuations.
Area was devastated by fire only in September
The heat of more than 30 degrees, the drought and strong winds continued to make extinguishing work in the difficult-to-access area difficult, it said. However, an improvement in the situation with weaker winds is expected in the course of the day. Around 500 members of the fire brigade, civil defense and the military emergency aid unit UME were deployed, as the emergency service of the Andalusia region announced on Twitter. According to official information, buildings were not initially affected.
The affected area on the Sierra Bermeja mountain range was devastated by a six-day forest fire last September. At that time, more than 9000 hectares of forest were destroyed. This corresponds to the area of around 13,000 football pitches. Authorities were convinced at the time that the fire was the work of arsonists. However, the perpetrators could not be identified.
The residents of the Sierra Bermeja have now experienced “a difficult night” again, wrote Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Twitter. The socialist politician expressed his solidarity with those affected.
