Jorge Hinojosa
A GROUP of British women were left stranded and having to sleep in their car after a night out when police cordoned off Benahavis.
Samantha Shiba and Dorothy Hall, who live in the village and visiting friends from England Sue Parker and Sandra Doud were refused permission to return home to pick up clothes and medicine by the Guardia Civil.
Due to the danger from smoke and flames as the latest fire to hit the Sierra Bermeja raced towards the town, police had ordered an evacuation.
Shiba told the Olive Press: “We slept in the car until 2 am, then we went to the shelter but we had no sleep because the aircon was too noisy.”
However, they confirmed that Benahavis town hall has agreed to pay for a hotel for Thursday for two of them who are above the age of 80.
The friends told the Olive Press that a lack of information from the town hall has caused them some stress as they did not know when they would be allowed to return home.
Shiba said: “I nearly fell asleep in the cafe due to not being able to sleep properly tonight.
“All I want is a nice shower and a little bit of sleep.”
The group complained to the Olive Press that two of them need medication every day but they missed out on Thursday as the strict cordon was enforced.
Speaking to the Olive Press, Benahavis mayor Jose Antonio Mena Castilla hoped that evacuees will be allowed back to their properties on Friday if the wind does not fan flames towards Benahavis again.
The director of Spain’s official fire fighting body Infoca, Adriano Vazquez, told the Olive Press that they are having a meeting later on Thursday to discuss when residents would be able to return.
READ MORE:
- Stay away! Evacuated residents cannot return home for another day as wildfire blazes in the hills above Spain’s Costa..
- ‘We were forced to abandon our home’: British expat describes panic as wildfire threatens residential areas above Spain’s Costa…
- IN IMAGES: Smoke engulfs homes as 3,000 residents evacuated in Pujerra wildfire in hills above Spain’s Costa del Sol
