Personnel from the Mijas Fire Brigade have declared the forest fire on Camino de la Alberca, in Valtocado, extinguished. According to Antonio Villalba, a corporal with the Mijas Fire Brigade, the fire started inside a private estate near a house and affected an area of “between 2,000 and 3,000 square metres of the plot”. A fire crew with two engines was dispatched to the scene, along with members of the Civil Guard and the Mijas Local Police. The fire affected scrubland and gardens, without reaching the trees.

The councillor for the Fire Brigade, Francisco Jerez (Vox), explained that an Infoca helicopter also flew to the area. “A Super Puma helicopter and its crew arrived, but it didn’t end up taking action. They circled the area a couple of times and, when they saw that the area was already under control, they contacted our firefighters and withdrew”, said Jerez.

The corporal explained that, once on the scene, the crews proceeded to extinguish the flames. “The fire is completely out; we have cooled the area, it has been brought under control and has been completely extinguished”, said Villalba. He also pointed out that, although the fire did not spread further, it was “a private estate but close to ravines, and there is a lot of vegetation in this area, many pine trees, and it is a quite dangerous place”, he noted.

For his part, the councillor for the Fire Brigade emphasised that the rapid response of the crew prevented the fire from spreading. “It was tackled quickly. Operational Services also stepped in to ensure the firefighters did not run out of water, and it was brought under control. It went no further”, he noted.

Furthermore, the councillor explained that the smoke column that raised the alarm had specific characteristics: “What was seen was a lot of white smoke because the material that burned was damp. Although it burned, it did not spread laterally; the smoke column was very vertical, thanks to the lack of wind. If it had been dry grass, the smoke would have looked more yellow or reddish”, he explained.

Prevention and precaution

Villalba also warned that the frequent rains this spring have led to significant vegetation growth throughout the municipality. As he pointed out, this situation could become a problem as summer approaches, as “that will provide plenty of fuel, which could cause us quite a few problems. It wasn't a larger incident because it isn't as hot as it is in the height of summer”, explained Villalba.

 

In the same vein, the councillor called for prevention and caution, particularly on “private plots”. Jerez noted that the Town Hall is taking action at various points in the Sierra de Mijas to prevent incidents like today’s. “I know for a fact that the company contracted by the Town Hall is clearing the mountains, the sides of the forest tracks, and Renta Básica is also clearing vulnerable areas, particularly road verges, to prevent us from having a major scare this summer,” he concluded.

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