Hundreds of people including British tourists and expats have been evacuated from homes and hotels as terrifying wildfires rage across Spain’s Costa del Sol.
The huge forest fire which broke out in the Pujerra area of the Sierra Bermeja, in the Malaga province, on Wednesday afternoon has so far led to between 2,500 and 3,000 people being evacuated from their homes.
Residents and tourists are fleeing their homes and hotels upon the advice of local authorities for fear of the encroaching flames and smoke inhalation.
High temperatures and strong winds have stoked the blaze, which has been declared a level two emergency by local officials.
Strong winds of up to 25 miles per hour have been hampering efforts to control the fire, with crews reporting that flames have been spreading at a rapid rate of 30 metres per minute.
One resident, British expat Natalie Guyan, said Guardia Civil, one of Spain’s two national police forces, informed them of the need to evacuate.
Natalia, who was originally from London but was now based in Benahavis, said her family was told to abandon their house at 11pm on Wednesday.
Speaking to The Olive Press, she said: “People were panicking and rushing to leave Benahavis, it was crazy.”
Natalia, along with her husband and their two young children were directed by police to a sports centre in nearby San Pedro, which had been turned into an emergency shelter.
But the family instead checked into a hotel in Marbella.
While she was trying to stay outwardly calm so as not to upset her children, she feared people could lose their homes or even their lives.
“We’ve heard that there is someone left behind in their home because they don’t have a car,” she said.
“The town hall must be one of the richest in the area but they spend all the money on golf courses,” she added. "There are no provisions for something like this which happens every year.”
Mayor of Pujerra Francisco Macías confirmed the blaze is affecting an area already devastated by fires last summer.
"It's affected practically the area of the fire last summer," he said in quotes reported by Sur in English.
Andalucia has been on a high alert level for wild fires since the start of the month due to soaring temperatures.
Last year's fires caused 2,500 homes to be evacuated from six towns across the region.
Among the precautionary measures in place in the area are a ban on barbecues and bonfires, as well as restrictions on motor vehicles in forest areas.
Over 3 million British tourists visited the Andalucia region in 2019, with Malaga, Marbella and Torremolinos among the most popular resorts in the area.
