Almost 1,000 firefighters and emergency workers are battling one of the most intractable Spanish wildfires in recent years as the blaze rages for a sixth day, after devouring at least 7,400 hectares (18,285 acres) of land in the southern region of Andalucía and forcing the evacuation of more than 2,600 people.
On Sunday, 260 members of Spain’s military emergencies unit were deployed to help tackle the fire, which began last Wednesday in the mountainous Sierra Bermeja above the resort town of Estepona, and which now has a perimeter of 53 miles (85km). Experts hope the rain forecast across much of the country on Monday will help extinguish the blaze.
Investigators say they have evidence that the fire, which claimed the life of a 44-year-old firefighter last Thursday, was started deliberately. Announcing the deployment of the military personnel on Sunday night, the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the government and its partners “will work together and tirelessly in the face of the fire that is devastating the province of Málaga”. » | Sam Jones in Madrid | Monday, September 13, 2021
