Regional government raises Serranía de Ronda fire to emergency level

The activation of operational level 1 marks a change in the management of the fire. The blaze is no longer tackled solely by the forest firefighting service, given the possibility that it could affect people or property outside the woodland area, and requires broader coordination among the services involved in the operation. The decision was taken and announced by the first vice-president and regional minister for health and emergencies, Antonio Sanz.

Igualeja remains under lockdown as a precautionary measure following a particularly difficult night due to the wind. The authorities have asked residents to stay in their homes, keep doors and windows closed to prevent smoke from entering, and avoid any non-essential travel.

Restrictions also remain in place on the roads near the fire. The MA-7304 remains completely closed between kilometre markers 0 and 7, in Parauta. It is also not possible to travel along the Coto road, the route linking the MA-7300 with the A-397, due to work being carried out by the firefighting teams.

In the early hours of the morning, a house with three occupants was also evacuated as a precautionary measure. The fire broke out at 10.19pm on Saturday near the Mirador de Igualeja viewpoint, prompting the immediate mobilisation of personnel from the Infoca Plan. The operation was progressively reinforced as the night wore on and the conditions of the fire changed.

The weather has been one of the main obstacles to the firefighting work. A preliminary analysis carried out overnight by the Technical Fire Analysis Unit (UTAF) indicated sustained winds of between 30 and 35 kilometres per hour and gusts reaching between 50 and 60 kilometres per hour. The wind kept both Igualeja and neighbouring municipalities on alert in the early hours of the morning due to the possibility of the flames changing direction.

The deployment carried out this Sunday gives an idea of the scale of the operation. In addition to the 170 forest firefighters, there are twelve operations technicians, two firefighting technicians, the director of the provincial operations centre, a meteorology and forest fire team, and two environmental officers. Also on the ground are six fire engines, a mobile meteorology and communications unit, a technical office module, a forest fire medical unit, a forest fire command team and an emergency systems unit.

In addition to these, there is a significant air operation comprising 22 aircraft: two light helicopters, seven medium helicopters, three heavy helicopters and one command helicopter; two ground-based cargo aircraft and one coordination aircraft; as well as four light amphibious aircraft and a further two heavy amphibious aircraft.

The emergency services are urging people not to approach the area of the fire and to keep the roads clear to facilitate the movement of vehicles and firefighting equipment. Residents of Igualeja are asked to continue to follow the authorities’ instructions while the lockdown remains in place.