Helicopters and firefighters stabilise fire in Spain’s Costa del Sol

SPANISH firefighter body INFOCA has confirmed the outbreak of a fire at 5pm, July 12 in the town of Ardales, Malaga.

INFOCA said that the fire started in the Loma de la Castaña area.

Two helicopters and four firefighting units were dispatched to the area, managing to stabilise the fire at around 5:45pm.

However, as it stands the firefighters are still working to extinguish the blaze.

There is no official data yet how many hectares have been affected.

Forest fires this summer have already burned almost as many hectares as in all of 2021, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge.

European satellites have meanwhile revealed that in June, more than 62,800 hectares have been burned across Spain, with raging fires in the Sierra Bermeja in Malaga and the Sierra de la Culebra, in Zamora.

Scientists have warned that the extreme temperatures in Spain are making fires significantly more likely.

So far 250 forest fires have been registered in Spain this year.

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