The Junta de Andalucía visits the new forest defence subcentre in Tolox

The town of Tolox was the setting for the visit made this Wednesday by the delegate of the Andalusian Government in Málaga, Patricia Navarro, to the new forest defence subcentre of EMA Infoca. This infrastructure aims to strengthen the firefighting operation in the province of Málaga.

During her visit, Navarro highlighted the Andalusian Government's effort to advance in the protection of forests and populations against fires, especially in the current high-risk season that began on June 1. To date, 54 actions have been recorded in the province by forest firefighters.

Details of the new subcentre

The new facility, located in an old forest house provided by the Tolox Town Hall and rehabilitated by the Andalusian Government with an investment of over 477,000 euros, is situated in a strategic point to assist the Sierra de las Nieves National Park and various municipalities of the western Costa del Sol.

During her tour, the delegate was accompanied by the mayor of Tolox, Jerónimo Macías, who emphasised the importance of the location of this subcentre, which becomes the operational base for two Specialist Groups with seven forest firefighters each, in addition to having a heavy forest fire truck.

Incidence of fires in the region

Navarro also mentioned that urban-forest interface areas will experience greater safety due to this new infrastructure, especially now that the population in the western Costa del Sol can reach nearly one million people in summer. This subcentre adds to other vital resources installed in recent months to improve emergency response capacity.

Since the start of the high-risk season, 54 interventions have been recorded, affecting a total of 315.62 hectares, with Benahavís being the municipality most affected by a recent fire that impacted 230 hectares.

The delegate concluded her remarks by calling for caution to protect lives and natural heritage, reminding the importance of reporting any sighting of smoke or fire to 112. Additionally, Navarro thanked all professionals involved in the fight against fires, as well as local entities for their collaboration.