More than 170 soldiers have been deployed to evacuate a holiday hotspot after a wildfire with 65ft flames engulfed two villages in south-eastern Spain. Almost 200 people have been forced to leave their homes as the fire raged through the Murcia region, a short drive from the popular Costa Blanca resorts of Benidorm and Alicante.
The alarm was raised at 3pm yesterday by hikers on the Cresta Del Gallo mountain ridge, who spotted fires erupting at a nearby national park. The flames spread rapidly, prompting over 200 calls to emergency services. Footage showed terrified tourists and locals fleeing the towering inferno, which burned everything in its path.
Over 300 firefighters, emergency services personnel, and soldiers from the Army's specialist UME unit were deployed to tackle the blaze, supported by planes and helicopters dropping water. The fire has burned more than 270 hectares of land, and one person has been treated for burns. Emergency services revealed that initial hypotheses suggest the fire may have been started intentionally by an arsonist.
Murcia mayor Rebeca Perez said emergency services had worked tirelessly overnight without rest. “To all the residents of Los Garres and the affected areas, we want to convey our affection and support after a particularly difficult day,” she said. “The fire in Los Garres remains active. This morning we reinforced firefighting efforts with the gradual addition of aerial resources.”
One local who voluntarily abandoned their home said: “The whole sky is grey. You can see the smoke from here and it’s still burning.” Another described how residential areas came very close to the fire, with a flame front 65 feet high and only a 13-foot-wide street separating homes from the blaze. As of Wednesday morning, the fire was reported to be without active flames, with only hot spots posing no risk.
