Wildfire in southern Spain forces evacuation of 3,000
Jun 09, 2022
Madrid [Spain], June 9 (ANI/Xinhua): A wildfire that started on Wednesday afternoon has forced the evacuation of around 3,000 people near the tourist resorts of Marbella and Estepona in the popular Costa del Sol area on the south coast of Spain, local emergency services have said.
One fireman was reportedly burned while helping with the evacuation and was listed in "serious condition," while two other people suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital, the Spanish government's delegation in Malaga said.
Around 500 firemen, supported by several helicopters and drones, are fighting the blaze, which is still raging south of the small town of Pujerra in the Sierra Bermeja hills in the province of Malaga.
Members of the Spanish Armed Forces' Military Emergencies Unit (UME) have also been called in to help with extinguishing the flames.
Around 3,000 people had to leave their homes in the town of Benahavis, with the Red Cross taking care of them.
The cause of the wildfire is not yet known. It started at around 3 pm in an isolated and virtually inaccessible woodland known as La Resinera.
The same area was badly damaged by another fire, which destroyed over 9,000 hectares 10 months ago. (ANI/Xinhua)
