An Infoca fire fighter, one of the 300 personnel deployed, has died tackling the Sierra Bermeja blaze in the province of Málaga.

This fire, which is affecting three municipalities: Jubrique, Genalguacil and Estepona, has necessitated the evacuation of just over one-thousand residents from their homes.

The majority of those that have had to abandon their homes (750) are residents of Urbanización Forest Hill and Urbanización Abejeras. Another 37 are from rural dwellings around Peñas Blancas near the MA-8301, 12 are from the Charca de la Extranjera, 60 from Huerta Padrón and 65 from Río Velerín. Lastly, 80 people were evacuated in Benahavís in the area of Urbanización Montemayor.

As for where these people are now staying, Estepona has turned the Pabellón del Carmen into a temporary shelter for those displaced. Cruz Roja has provided 50 beds, 100 wash kits and 100 anti-covid kits. So far only 30 people have moved there as the majority have gone to stay with friends and relatives or back to their primary place of residence (as many affected dwellings are second homes or holiday lets). Others have slept in their cars nearby in the hope of having the chance to re-enter their homes, if only for a few minutes, to grab what they can, including pets.

Owing to drifting, dense smoke the AP-7 has had to be closed to traffic and all efforts are on the left flank of the fire to prevent it breaching a firebreak and reaching forest land on the other side.

Infoca specialists from bases in Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Jaén and Sevilla have been drawn in to tackle the fire and adding municipal fire services etc, the total number of people deployed to tackle the fire is around 400.

The fire was first reported at 21.37h on Wednesday evening via the 112 emergency, call centre. So far, 3,600 hectares have been consumed. They are struggling to contain the fire but have so far been unable.

Editorial comment: with the death of this Infoca fire fighter, the PM for the Junta, Juanma Moreno has said that they are going to use all means at their disposal to track down and bring to justice the culprit of this, what appears to be, act of arson, describing this person, whoever he is, as “a murderer.” He’s also calling on the Central Government for more means.

(News: Sierra de Bermeja, Malaga, Andalucia)