Over 1,000 displaced in southern Spain as firefighters tackle wildfire

Málaga, Spain, Sep 13 (EFE).- Firefighting planes on Monday continued to douse a wildfire that has scorched swathes of mountainous land in southern Spain, where encroaching flames have forced thousands people to evacuate.

The blaze in Sierra Bermeja, located in the province of Málaga toward the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, has devoured over 7,780 hectares of Andalusian countryside, said Elías Bendodo, head of the regional department of interior affairs.

Just over 1,616 people from six villages remained displaced Monday morning but Bendodo said another 1,400 people from Marbella and Benahavís had been able to return home.

Spanish military personnel were called in to help tackle the blaze, which has been raging since Wednesday.

One firefighter died during the operation in Sierra Bermeja last week.

Andalusia’s wildfire response unit INFOCA said firefighters had faced an “intense night” of operations to contain the expansive blaze.

Over 200 responders worked to tackle the fire overnight, according to Bendodo.

Juan Sánchez, INFOCA’s head of regional operations, late Sunday described the fire in Sierra Bermeja as one of the “most complex” to hit the area in recent memory. EFE

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