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Andalucía Declares Emergency Phase for Benahavís Wildfire

That status triggers preventive confinement, mobilizing a large aerial and ground response to protect residents.

Overview

  • The wildfire near the Ermita del Rosario in Benahavís began on Sunday with first 112 calls around 12:40, was declared about 13:07 and was raised to fase de emergencia (situación operativa 1) by Plan Infoca around 14:00.
  • Plan Infoca deployed roughly 15 aircraft and about 60 forest firefighters along with Brica brigades, operations technicians, medical support and water tankers to stabilise and extinguish the flames.
  • Authorities ordered preventive confinement of Benahavís’s urban centre, nearby diseminados to the north and west, and the Urbanización La Coja and sent ES-ALERT messages to residents.
  • Officials, led by Antonio Sanz, urged people to follow 112 instructions, avoid risks, close doors and windows, and protect vulnerable people from smoke as crews work on containment.
  • The town was hit by a major July blaze that forced mass evacuations, a precedent that raises concern about local strain on emergency resources and the risk of repeated disruption for residents.