I don't know if anyone here is aware of the fires that are currently raging around the Estepona area of Southern Spain. I live 3 miles from the Sierra Bermeja and it is on fire which has currently destroyed over 6000 hectares of trees which is about 25 square miles. 1 volunteer firefighter was killed on Thursday and over 1000 people have been evacuated from their homes in villages from Estepona and as far as Benahavis. The only reason I haven't been ordered to leave my home is because we are having strong westerly winds which are driving the fires in a North Easterly direction. The smoke from the fires can be seen from space and have been photographed by a weather satellite and the plume of smoke is hundreds of miles long. The tragic thing about all this is that the fires were started on purpose, investigators have evidence that they were started using pine cones and dry leaves as tinder and found the remnants of lighters at the source of the fires. I took a picture from my balcony on Wednesday night as I noticed a red sky as I was getting ready for bed not realising what was happening. Picture from space. Firefighters being heroes. They have my total admiration. The local Chief Fire Officer said on Saturday they thought they had the fires contained as the winds had died down so they weren't spreading so fast but overnight a new fire started across a ravine and joined up with the original fires. There are over 50 aircraft dropping water bombs all day, we watch them fly out to sea and scoop up tons of water then fly into the smoke to try and put the fires out. The weather forecast is for rain on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and that is the only hope there is to get these fires under control. Please please rain.
Its horrendous mate, really pray for you and everyone else. I lived in St Tropez when there were massive hill fires and it's incredibly frightening ... ... a fire engine was engulfed driving on a road through the forest, there's a chilling monument to the lads.
What motivates the idiots who start fires is beyond my understanding. Hope the promised rain comes for the sake of the environment and everyone in danger. Keep safe mate - don’t take any chances.
Terrifying. I recently watched a video of a man driving his father through a forest fire trying to reach safety. The car was getting hotter and hotter and all that could be seen ahead was more flames. Flames to both sides and ahead. I think in the end he turned around and went back. Obviously must have reached safety for video to be shown. A nightmarish experience which would have caused me nightmares for years after.
Thanks Smug and OldSandy, at the moment we are ok. I know this is an environmental tragedy but there is one story that is really sad. There's a woman who was told to leave her land by the Guardia Civil and set her horses free, we think they are rescue horses and she was heartbroken to chase them away to save their lives. She has painted her phone number on their backs so if they are found she will know they are safe. I really hope they all got to safety but we all know how animals react to fire, they just panic. All of this because some twat likes fires.
That's a heartbreaking story, mate. Keep safe and I hope this comes to an end soon for everybody over there.
I can only imagine the terror of being trapped in an area where this is happening. I have never known so many occurrences of this.
My mate lives in Gaucin on the next mountain. He reckons it was started by drugs gangs who were responding to the police blocking roads, so to divert their resources. Ba5tards
Very sad story mate, and as all have said before me keep safe,and i hope the police catch these idiots before more lives are lost.
Thanks Roger, I think we are past the worst of it. I can see the whole of the mountain for the first time since last Wednesday, the last few days it's been shrouded in thick smoke. It's going to rain all night tonight and all day tomorrow and probably into Wednesday so I think things will get back to normal by the weekend. Some of the people that were evacuated from Benahavis has been allowed back to their homes today.
