Since erupting on Wednesday evening, the blaze has burned through around 3,600 hectares of forest in the mountainous Sierra Bermeja above Estepona, a Mediterranean resort favoured by British tourists and retirees. Emergency workers do not expect to bring the flames under control until Saturday at the earliest. Regional Environment Chief Carmen Crespo said the blaze appeared to have been started deliberately and investigators were working to uncover more details. Just over 1,000 people have been evacuated from four communities in Estepona and one in neighbouring Benahavis, and a 44-year old firefighter died on Thursday night. (Reporting by Jon Nazca, Marco Trujillo and Mariano Valladolid; Writing by Nathan Allen and Jessica Jones; Editing by Inti Landauro and Mark Potter)

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 11, 2021 14:37 UTC