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Forest fire in southern Spain: A helicopter above the flames
Photo: DANIEL PEREZ/EPA
Around 2,300 people have been taken to safety in Spain as a precaution because of a forest fire in the tourist hotspot Costa del Sol.
The fire, which broke out at noon for an unknown reason, primarily threatened the area around the two communities of Alhaurín de la Torre and Alhaurín el Grande on the Sierra de Mijas mountain range near the coastal city of Málaga on Friday evening, according to the Europa Press news agency, citing the authorities reported.
According to regional media, some tourists were also affected by the evacuations of the communities.
They were housed in municipal facilities, it said.
According to the information, the flames destroyed around 1,000 hectares of forest within a few hours.
A huge column of smoke could be seen from Malaga shortly before nightfall.
Plumes of smoke also reached some beaches.
Málaga and the nearby well-known seaside resorts such as Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmádena are not at risk as the strong winds drove the large walls of fire away from the southern Spanish coast.
The flames would be fought by around 200 firefighters with 15 firefighting planes and helicopters.
A drought that lasted for months and a heat wave with temperatures of up to 45 degrees that has lasted almost all of Spain for almost a week have favored the outbreak and spread of many fires - as in neighboring Portugal.
As of Friday afternoon, 18 major wildfires were active across the country.
The worst of the fires continued to rage in the municipality of Las Hurdes, in the province of Cáceres, near the border with Portugal.
According to various estimates, the flames destroyed at least 3500, possibly even more than 5000 hectares.
A small glimmer of hope for the Spaniards: On Friday, temperatures fell slightly for the first time in days.
The heat wave is expected to end by Tuesday at the latest.
aeh/dpa