Wildfires in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia have forced 2,000 residents to flee their homes.
One firefighter was killed in the blaze, which started on Wednesday on high hills above Estepona, a prominent Costa del Sol tourist town.
A military force has been dispatched by the Spanish government to assist firemen in the mountainous region.
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On Sunday, six different towns and villages were evacuated, with massive plumes of smoke visible from miles away.
On Friday, residents of five other villages were ordered to vacate their houses.
According to Spanish media, the wildfires had burnt around 7,400 hectares (18,200 acres).
Hundreds of firemen were battling the blaze with the help of 41 planes and 25 vehicles, according to Andalusia’s regional forest fire department.
It was the “most complex” fire seen there in recent decades, according to Juan Sánchez, a senior official with the regional fire service.
“Today we are living them,” he added, citing to current discussions about the effects of climate change.
Another local resident, Pepa Rubio, said “This is inhuman, nothing like this has ever been seen,” one evacuee, Adriana Iacob told Reuters news agency. “The flames of the fire as they ran through the mountains, it was amazing.”
“Since the fire started, we haven’t slept for days. It’s awful.”
