UPDATE: More than 1,000 residents on Spain’s Costa del Sol evacuated due to Mijas fire

A FIRE in Mijas has caused more than 1,000 people to be evacuated in Alhaurin de la Torre and Alhaurin el Grande in the early hours of this afternoon.

The urbanisations Lauro Golf, Jarapalos and Llanos de la Plata in Alhaurín de la Torre and Buenavista in Alhuarin el Grande were evacuated at 1pm.

Alhaurin de la Torre mayor, Joaquin Villanova believes that the fire could have been caused deliberately.

“We have decided to evacuate people from these urbanisations due to the heavy wind,” said the mayor.

A British expat who lives close to the fire, Sue Mccleary, told the Olive Press: “We are really busy packing essentials in case we have to evacuate.”

Local police, firefighters and Guardia Civil are working hard to control the fire.

It’s been reported that two roads have been closed due to the fire, the A 368 in Mijas between kilometres 0 and 5 and the A-404 between kilometres 0 and 5.

The first calls warning about the fire were received by 112 at noon.

It is the same area where a blaze burned 70 hectares in 2008.

READ MORE:

• BREAKING: Huge fire blazing in Mijas on Spain’s Costa del Sol with 1,000 evacuated