Rising threat from falling trees in Malaga as climate extremes take toll

Accidents involving fallen tree branches in Malaga have become increasingly common over the past year, coinciding with extreme weather events such as abundant rainfall in winter and intense, humid heat in summer.

The fall of a large eucalyptus branch in the Bailén-Miraflores district on Saturday, which injured two young women, one of whom remains in intensive care in a serious condition, has prompted an analysis into the recurrence of such incidents.

Over the past year, the province and Malaga city have seen about ten significant tree branch and trunk falls, many without any apparent cause. Two occurred in July 2025: the fall of a large pine branch in Plaza de Miguel de los Reyes in the Lagunillas area in Malaga city and that of a large tree in the Puerta Blanca area, which nearly crushed a seven-month-old baby and his parents as they were getting out of their car.

Following this latest incident, the city council imposed a 5,000-euro fine on Raga Medio Ambiente, the company contracted for the maintenance and upkeep of green spaces in the Carretera de Cádiz district. The parks and gardens department confirmed that the tree in question had already exhibited deficiencies that could affect its stability.

In October 2025, two people sustained injuries when a tree branch fell in the Palma-Palmilla district. As in the recent incident in Miraflores, technicians from the company contracted to maintain the area's parks and gardens had recently inspected the tree, an elm located on a slope, and found no signs of disease or other issues.

Throughout the winter, significant tree falls continued to occur, such as the complete collapse of a large ficus tree in December on the Antonio Machado promenade. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the drivers of two vehicles had to manoeuvre to avoid being crushed.

Another incident involved a nearly 15-metre-tall tree falling onto a lorry very close to the Eduardo Ocón school, where further tree falls occurred days later.

Particularly tragic was the case of a 31-year-old Moroccan woman who died in Torremolinos when a palm tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on her as she was walking to the National Police station to collect her long-awaited residency. This happened in January.

Also in January, a large branch fell in the heart of Marbella, causing significant damage to two vehicles and bringing back memories of the death of a local resident in March 2025 due to a similar incident.

The environmental sustainability department of Malaga city council is analysing the possible cause of the accident on Saturday. In October 2025, environmental technicians assessed the tree's condition and ruled a low risk of falling.

According to experts, there could be several causes for these structural collapses. Malaga University botanist Enrique Salvo believes that "there is a high risk of more branches falling". "Before, you were more likely to be struck by lightning than to be hit by a falling tree. Now that's no longer the case."

Salvo says that the combination of heavy rains, like those expected again this coming autumn, with summer months of very high temperatures causes branches to sprout vigorously. "Let's say the tree sheds what could destabilise it," he explains.

He gives an example with eucalyptus trees. They grow quickly because their height helps them reach for oxygen.

He also says that global warming is drying out the soil and affecting tree roots, which are becoming smaller. "All of this leads to more branches and trunks breaking in the summer," Salvo points out.

Another botanist, Alberto Díaz, who specialises in urban trees, says that high temperatures can be an "aggravating" factor, although it is "not proven" to be the determining factor. In fact, he has just finished a study on the phenomenon of branch breakage in summer, in which he demonstrates with data that these types of collapses are due to a combination of factors.

"We're talking about changes in wind patterns and possible mechanical defects in the trees. There's a lack of information and data collection on the condition of the trees in terms of their fatigue levels, cracks, fissures and so on," Díaz says.

"But I don't think there's any increased risk. I repeat, these are very isolated cases compared to the tens of thousands of trees that exist in a city," he concludes, providing some type of reassurance to the public.

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