Benahavís wildfire stabilised as 1,796 evacuated residents return home in Málaga province
A wildfire that broke out on Thursday afternoon near the AP-7 motorway in Benahavís, Málaga, forced the preventive evacuation of around 1,000 people from several residential areas. By Friday morning, 1,796 residents had been authorised to return as fire crews secured the perimeter.
Fire ignites near motorway
The blaze started around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in a ditch beside the AP-7 motorway at kilometre 1068, near the Montemayor residential area in Benahavís. Emergency coordination centre EMA 112 received nearly 300 calls reporting the fire, which spread rapidly into a wooded zone. The Andalusian regional government activated the Plan Infoca forest fire brigade, along with provincial fire consortia, Marbella municipal fire crews, Guardia Civil (deploying 30 to 40 officers), local police from Estepona and Benahavís, National Police, highway maintenance teams, Red Cross, and emergency health services. Antonio Sanz, regional minister for the presidency and emergencies, elevated the incident to operational situation 1 under the Infoca plan, a status that triggers population protection measures.
A media noche el fuego seguía activo y 180 efectivos continuaban trabajando en su extinción.
Evacuations and road closures
Authorities ordered preventive evacuations affecting approximately 1,000 people across roughly 400 homes in the Parque Botánico Country Club, the first line of Los Flamingos (including the Four Seasons apartments), and the Montemayor development. The AP-7 motorway was closed between kilometres 1054 and 1070 in the Cádiz direction due to the proximity of flames, causing significant traffic disruption on a major Costa del Sol artery. The road was reopened to traffic around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday evening. Benahavís town hall set up the municipal sports centre as a reception point, where Red Cross provided 50 beds. Only around ten residents used the facility, with most evacuees sheltering with relatives, friends, or in local hotels.
Firefighting deployment
During the night, 129 Plan Infoca ground personnel and ten fire engines remained deployed. By Friday morning, the numbers shifted to 122 ground personnel, 12 fire engines, and one light helicopter, with aerial resources including seven helicopters and six planes (among them a heavy amphibious aircraft from the Ministry for Ecological Transition) having operated on Thursday. A total of 235 personnel from multiple agencies worked the incident overnight. The Andalusian Emergency Group set up an advanced command post at Llano de la Ermita in Benahavís. Patricia Navarro, the Andalusian government delegate in Málaga, monitored the emergency response from that location.
- First 112 calls report fire in AP-7 ditch at km 1068, Montemayor area.
- Fire declared in Benahavís/Estepona area. Emergency services activated.
- Preventive evacuations ordered for ~1,000 residents. AP-7 closed km 1054-1070. Plan Infoca raised to operational situation 1.
- AP-7 reopens to traffic. 180 personnel continue overnight operations.
- 129 Plan Infoca ground crew and 10 engines remain on site. Fire controlled to 60% perimeter.
- 1,796 evacuees from Los Flamingos, Parque Botánico, and Four Seasons authorised to return. Fire has no flames or active fronts. 257 remain evacuated, 370 confined.
Return of evacuated residents
On Friday morning, Emergency services 112 Andalucía confirmed that 1,796 people who had been preventively evacuated were authorised to return home: 1,013 residents of the Los Flamingos zone, 687 from Parque Botánico, and 96 from the Four Seasons area. A further 257 people remained under preventive evacuation (132 from Marbella Hills and 125 from Caserías del Esperonal), while 370 residents of the Montemayor development remained under confinement orders. The fire evolved favourably overnight and by Friday morning had no flames or active fronts, with crews focusing on securing zones and cooling hotspots.
Los efectivos están asegurando las zonas y enfriando los puntos calientes del incendio.
Parallel incidents across Andalusia
While the Benahavís fire progressed, two other fires affected the region on Thursday. In Los Gallardos, Almería, a forest fire prompted the preventive evacuation of around 50 people in Pinar de Bédar, with one person suffering burns and transferred to hospital. In Córdoba province, a separate fire forced the suspension of high-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia, though train traffic was restored by around 9 p.m. The state meteorological agency Aemet maintained a yellow heat alert for the Costa del Sol area, with high temperatures and terral winds contributing to fire risk across Málaga province.
