Thousands evacuated from Spanish resort of Tarifa due to forest fire
According to local reports, some 2,000 people, including beachgoers, vacation resort visitors, and locals living near Playa de Atlanterra and Playa de Bolonia, were among those impacted.
Access to the Southern Spanish resort town has been limited to emergency services, and around 25 kilometres northwest of Tarifa's city centre, the interior minister of the Andalusia region, Antonio Sanz, said on Monday.
The evacuations come as Spain faces one of its worst summers in recent history, with massive wildfires that have engulfed tens of thousands of hectares and threatened UNESCO World Heritage sites.
2,000 people evicted due to fire in Zahara
The region surrounding Tarifa in the province of Cádiz was already impacted by a forest fire less than a week ago. Around 1,500 visitors and locals were evacuated at that time, along with a number of hotels, towns, and a campsite in the La Peña area.
On Monday, the Guardia Civil asked those evacuated by the fire to leave the area by the beach to avoid the collapse of the road. In addition, the urbanisations of Montaña de Los Alemanes and those located at the foot of the Sierra de la Plata have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
For the moment, due to the advance of the fire and the dense smoke covering the area, some of the residents of the urbanisation have been evacuated, as well as the workers and guests of two emblematic hotels in the area: the Cortijo and the Meliá Zahara. More than 2,000 people have been evacuated, according to Spanish media.
The fire has spread very quickly due to the wind, according to chef José Andrés on his X account.
For days, emergency services have been trying to tackle other fires in the area, both by land and by air. More than 100 troops are currently deployed in the area, including four Brigadas de Refuerzos contra Incendios (Bricas).
The new advance of the flames comes after the local authorities declared two days ago that the fire that started on 5 August had been extinguished.
According to Spanish media, the blaze affected an area of some 283 hectares and forced the preventive eviction of some 1,500 people.
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