Thanks again to the rapid response of the fire and police services, and the absence of high winds, the pine forest of Cerro Gordo was not converted into an ashtray. This latest fire is the tenth since the end of last summer.

However, half a hectare of brush and pine went up in smoke in the Cuesta del Marchante area. In this area, there are also several chalets – none were affected.

The fire was reported around 14.00h on Monday the 27th of March via a call to the emergency 112 number. The fire started near the roadside of this lane that links the N-340 to El Cerval Alto and Rescate. Within a short time the flames advances westward, climbing the hillside, with flames and smoke being visible from the centre of La Herradura.

The fire was brought under control and extinguished just a few metres from somebody’s garden, a little before 16.00h. A team of firemen remained on the scene, however, to prevent the fire from reviving itself.

The Department of the Environment and the Guardia Civil are investigating the cause of this latest in a succession of fires – most of which have been deliberate. The outcome of their investigation is perhaps foreseeable, as the area was relatively damp from recent rainfall and there are no high-tension cables that could have caused sparks.

(News: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)