The fire declared on Thursday in Benahavís forced the evacuation of a thousand people. This Friday, residents have been able to return to their homes and the AP-7 has reopened to traffic.
Residents of the Urbanization Parque Botánico and the frontline of Los Flamingos, in Benahavís, were able to return to their homes on Friday morning. The forest fire that broke out on Thursday afternoon no longer poses a direct threat to the houses, according to sources from the Plan Infoca.
The AP-7, which was closed in both directions between kilometres 1054 and 1070, has reopened to traffic after emergency teams managed to control the perimeter of the fire. Traffic was restored shortly after six in the morning, as reported by the General Directorate of Traffic.
One Thousand Evacuated
The fire started in the ditch of the AP-7, at kilometre 1068, and quickly spread through a wooded area. The first calls to 112 were recorded around 4:30 PM on Thursday. In total, the emergency centre managed nearly 300 calls related to the incident.
The preventive evacuation affected about 400 homes in the Parque Botánico and Los Flamingos urbanisations, where approximately a thousand people reside. A preventive confinement was also declared for the Montemayor urbanisation, although it was ultimately not necessary to evacuate its residents.
The municipal sports centre of Benahavís was set up as a reception centre, with around fifty beds provided by the Red Cross. However, only about ten residents made use of this resource, as most opted to stay with family, friends, or local hotels.
Deployed Forces and Fire Progress
A total of 235 personnel from various operations worked on extinguishing the fire. During the night, the Plan Infoca maintained 129 ground personnel and 10 fire engines deployed. By midnight, the perimeter of the fire was contained by more than 60%, allowing the fire to be declared controlled in the early hours of Friday.
The delegate of the Government of the Junta in Málaga, Patricia Navarro, monitored the evolution of the emergency from the Advanced Command Post set up in Llano de La Ermita. The Minister of Presidency, Health and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, elevated the Plan Infoca to emergency phase, operational situation 1, at 5:30 PM on Thursday.
This phase is activated when, although controllable with ordinary means, the dimensions of the fire or the need to protect the population require special coordination. This is how operations were conducted throughout the night to ensure the safety of residents and extinguish the fire.
Recommendations to the Public and Other Fires in the Province
The Andalucía Emergency Agency urges extreme caution and advises against approaching the fire area to avoid unnecessary risks. Antonio Sanz called for common sense for the public to avoid the fire area, as the presence of onlookers can hinder emergency services' efforts.
The fire in Benahavís was not the only one recorded on Thursday in the province of Málaga. After 8:00 PM, another fire broke out near the A-7 motorway at kilometre 954, close to the Prado del Rey fairgrounds and the El Ingenio shopping centre. Firefighters from Vélez-Málaga, Nerja, and Rincón de la Victoria, as well as Local Police, National Police, and Traffic Civil Guard, were dispatched to the scene.
The strong easterly wind complicated extinguishing efforts. Firefighters focused on containing the fire, which affected an area of cane and scrubland. Customers at the shopping centre were urged to remove their vehicles from the parking area closest to the fire.
Additionally, a second fire was recorded in the vicinity of the La Gloria and Arroyo San Sebastián neighbourhoods, near La Fortaleza de Vélez-Málaga, in an area of scrub, pine forest, and low mountain. Authorities carried out eleven preventive evacuations of families, with no personal injuries reported.
In the coming days, residents of the affected areas are advised to keep windows closed and follow the instructions of emergency services. The province of Málaga remains on alert for fire risks due to high temperatures and easterly winds.
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