Soldiers deployed to help battle wildfire in southeastern Spain

Soldiers were deployed to tackle a major wildfire that has been burning in southeastern Spain for four days.

The blaze in Malaga province has destroyed 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of forest and prompted evacuations, with the number of residents displaced now standing at about 2,500.

Plan Infoca, the Andalusia region’s agency in charge of firefighting efforts, said yesterday was a “key day” for bringing the blaze under control.

Nearly 1,500 residents were evacuated from the towns of Jubrique, Genalguacil and four other villages.

This followed the evacuation of more than 1,000 people from areas around Estepona, which is popular among tourists and expats, before the weekend.

An emergency brigade travelled from the military base of Moron, in southern Spain, to join more than 300 firefighters and 41 water-dropping aircraft battling the flames.

The reinforcement was welcomed, but firefighters like Rafael Fanega, who said the blaze remained “out of control”, called for more boots on the ground to battle the flames.

“I don’t see enough deployed personnel,” he said, speaking in Jubrique after it had been evacuated.

“Some may see it differently, but that’s how I see it.”

A combination of hot and dry temperatures with strong winds created a perfect storm, turning the blaze that began Wednesday into a “hungry monster”, Alejandro Garcia, deputy operational chief of Plan Infoca, said.

A helicopter swoops down to make a water drop over a wildfire at Estepona, Spain.