The worsening winds on Friday afternoon forced fire firefighters to retreat to tackle a blaze near a popular Costa del Sol resort which has displaced more than 1.000 people from their homes and killed an emergency worker.
The 44-year-old was one of approximately 400 firefighters to fight the flames that broke out in the Sierra Bermeja mountains of southern Malaga province late Wednesday, the Andalusian Regional Government said in a press release.
Since the fires broke out on Wednesday evenings, the blaze, which is thought to have destroyed around 4.700 acres of forest in mountain Sierra Bermeja above Estepona, a Mediterranean resort popular with British tourists and pensioners, has spread across the country.
⚠️ En estos momentos circulación cortada al tráfico en MA-8301 desde #Estepona hasta puerto de #PeñasBlancas.
📲 Sigue fuentes oficiales#Prevención@AytoEstepona@E112Andalucia pic.twitter.com/vlUMrRbQgB— Protección Civil Estepona (@PCivilEstepona) September 8, 2021
Currently #Estepona fire seen from Guadalmina 🙈 pic.twitter.com/HgkU3xI7SU
— Mili 🐝nili (@BaevaMilena) September 9, 2021
Pictures of the fire in #Estepona it’s still very much active sadly 😔
The terrace is covered in ash. I really hope everyone is ok. 🙏🏼
The firefighters have been there since 10pm last night. Heroes they really are#sierrabermeja pic.twitter.com/ns4MN9ce1D
— Stephanie King (@ms_arsenal) September 9, 2021
#IFJubrique
ACTIVO
NIVEL 1
Incesante actividad de medios aéreos.Recuerden :
Aléjense de su zona de tareas, es peligroso.
pic.twitter.com/vsp7YS1EJJ— El Batefuegos (@El_Batefuegos) September 9, 2021
Seguimos muy pendientes del inciendio #Estepona
Anoche activamos el Plan de Emergencias Local y habilitamos el pabellón municipal para desalojados.
Todo mi agradecimiento a quienes trabajan en extinguir el fuego. Estas imágenes de Sierra Bermeja nos producen una profunda tristeza pic.twitter.com/EwptSAZVF1— José M García Urbano (@JMGarciaUrbano) September 9, 2021
El #incendio 🔥 de #sierrabermeja, #Estepona y #Benahavis 😢#malagaconacento #IncendioForestal pic.twitter.com/MG0AFyR7ag
— Málaga con acento (@Malagaconacento) September 9, 2021