The Infoca and firefighters from Mijas and other municipalities are working to extinguish a fire that broke out at 04:15 this morning in Los Condes. According to the Fire Fighting Department of the Infoca Plan, the extinction of the fire is progressing favourably, despite the strong north-northwest wind which is still blowing between 30 and 35 kilometres per hour, although it is expected to improve from six o'clock in the afternoon. It is a fire that is spreading fast and is currently being fought by more than 200 professionals, 90 of whom are Infoca forest firefighters, although firefighters from Mijas and other municipalities such as Marbella, Benalmándena and Fuengirola are also taking part, as well as officers from the Guardia Civil, Mijas Local Police, National Police, the 061 Health Emergency Centre, Red Cross, Civil Protection and the Andalusian Emergency Group (GREA). In addition to the human team, five fire engines, two heavy and one light helicopter, two amphibious planes and one ground loader, and a Forest Fire Medical Unit, among other resources, have also been deployed.
Five fire engines, two heavy and one light helicopters, two amphibious planes and one ground loader, and a Forest Fire Medical Unit, among other resources. According to the Infoca, the operation has worked as a priority both on the left flank (east) and at the head due to the proximity to housing areas.
The team set up the Advanced Command Post (PMA) in a place very close to the Osunillas sports centre to jointly coordinate all the actions of the operational services. The mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), the councillor for Firefighters, Juan Carlos Cuevas (Vox), and members of the government team went there first thing in the morning.
The delegate of the Andalusian Government in Malaga, Patricia Navarro, activated level 1 of the Emergency Plan for Forest Fires at 7.44 a.m. today, Sunday, a category given to fires which, due to their possible evolution, may involve the implementation of special measures for the protection of people and non-forest assets that may be threatened by fire, requiring the deployment of a civil protection unit.
The fire, located in the area of Venta Los Condes, has led, during the morning, to the preventive evacuation of about 300 people, more than 100 residents of the houses closest to the fire in the urbanization Valtocado and the rest from other surrounding areas such as Rincón del Hinojal, Lomas del Flamenco and the initial perimeter of Mijas Golf (northern part). The rest of the residents of the neighbouring areas have been advised to stay indoors due to the dense smoke that has prevailed for hours. Likewise, the A-387 road, which links Alhaurín el Grande and Fuengirola, has been closed to traffic in both directions between kilometres 0 and 9.5 as a result of this forest fire.
The delegate of the Government of Andalusia in Malaga, Patricia Navarro, who arrived at the command post after 11:00 a.m., explained step by step how the events unfolded. In this regard, she stressed that the primary objective was "the protection of the residents of Valtocado, where around 100 people had to be evacuated". She also regretted "the weather conditions, as they are not helping, mainly due to the strong wind, which is making it difficult for the operatives to act safely on the ground". In this sense, she explained that "these gusts at some peak times reach 60 km per hour, but at a sustained 30 km per hour, to which must be added the degree of humidity which is also above 30 percent and the very high temperatures despite it being November". Navarro thanked the more than 190 people deployed on the scene to control the situation and sent a message of "calm because we have been working from very early in the morning precisely in these tasks of prevention and protection of the civilian population". She also sent "a message of caution to all residents and especially to all those who visit this city at weekends and to cyclists" who take advantage of the situation to cycle routes in this area.
For her part, the mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), explained that the Town Hall is coordinating the evacuation plan: "we have attended to all the evacuees and there are some people who are in need of professional psychological help because they were quite worried". The Mijas mayor said that "we hope that throughout the day the fire can be controlled," but clarified that, if not, "there are hotels that have contacted us to offer rooms if necessary for that person who can not return home. Even so, Mata said that now "we have to go step by step" and in this sense she stressed that "coordination is fundamental and the Mijas Town Hall is here 100 percent precisely to attend to all the residents who are currently outside their homes to inform them of when they can return or be by their side in case it cannot be today and has to be tomorrow". Most of the evacuees, however, have chosen to move to the homes of family, friends and other support networks.
Health care for three women
Health workers from the Centro de Emergencias Sanitarias (CES 061) also assisted three women aged between 49 and 60 for smoke inhalation, who did not require referral to hospital.
Share it with this link: https://mijasint.com/?a=29089
