About 2,300 people have been rescued in Spain from a forest fire in the touristic hotspot Costa del Sol. The fire, which broke out in the afternoon for an unknown reason, mainly threatened the area around the two communities of Alhaurín de la Torre and Alhaurín el Grande in the Sierra de Mijas mountain range near the coastal city of Málaga on Friday evening.
According to regional media, some tourists were also affected by the evacuations of the communities. They were housed in municipal facilities, it said.
Plumes of smoke also reached beaches
The flames had destroyed about 1,000 acres of forest within hours, it said. Just before nightfall, a huge plume of smoke is said to have been observed from Malaga. Plumes of smoke also reached some beaches. Málaga and the nearby well-known seaside resorts such as Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmádena are not at risk, as high winds drove the great fire walls away from the southern Spanish coast. The flames would be fought by about 200 firefighters with 15 firefighting planes and helicopters.
A months-long drought and a heat wave with temperatures of up to 45 degrees, which lasts almost a week in almost all of Spain, are promoting the outbreak and spread of many fires – such as in neighboring Portugal.
On Friday afternoon, there were 18 major wildfires across the country. The worst fires raged in the municipality of Las Hurdes, in the province of Cáceres, near the border with Portugal.
According to various estimates, the flames have destroyed at least 3,500, possibly even more than 5,000 hectares. A small glimmer of hope for the Spaniards: On Friday the temperature dropped slightly for the first time in days. The heat wave is expected to end by Tuesday at the latest.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
