Only in September 2021 is the coastal region in southern Spain fighting devastating fires. Now the forests of the Costa del Sol are on fire again. Around 500 rescue workers are on duty and several thousand people are being evacuated. The cause of the fire is not yet clear.
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 fire that broke out on Wednesday afternoon for reasons that are still unknown primarily threatened the 8,000-inhabitant community of Benahavis and the 300-inhabitant village of Pujerra, around 100 kilometers west of Málaga in southern Spain, as reported by the state television broadcaster RTVE, citing regional politicians and fire department spokesmen . Three firefighters were injured. Due to severe burns, one of them was taken to the hospital. It is not yet known whether tourists will be affected by the evacuations.
The heat of more than 30 degrees, the drought and strong winds continued to make extinguishing work difficult, it said. In addition, the area is difficult to access. 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 only devastated by a six-day forest fire in September 2021. 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, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on Twitter. The socialist politician expressed his solidarity with those affected.
