Brits flee Marbella as huge wildfire rages in southern Spain, one man killed

PA

Firefighters in Spain are battling a huge wildfire raging near luxury tourist resort Marbella in Spain's Costa del Sol.

One man has been killed, while several people have suffered burns and hundreds of British holidaymakers and expats have been evacuated, with a total of 4,000 people forced to flee their homes.

The Press Association reports how strong winds fanned the flames in the region and Spanish authorities believe the blaze was started deliberately.

The government of Andalucia confirmed an elderly man's charred body was found 'in a tool shed' near Ojen and two people were being treated in hospital for burns and bruises, with one of the injured in 'a serious condition'.

Regional Interior Ministry official Jose Luis Ruiz Espejo said the fire started outside the mountainside town of Coin in north-east of Marbella and all the residents of nearby town Ojen were forced to flee as the flames reached their valley. The majority of people spent most of the night sheltered in sports centres in Marbella.

The Foreign Office said that 'several hundred' Britons were evacuated from the tourist spot, with 300 relocated to shelters.

Burnt out land in Ojen, Southern Spain/PA

Speaking to the BBC, tourist Sara Hesketh said: 'We've all got coughs with all the smoke and stuff and we're all exhausted because none of us have had any sleep. We're just waiting now to go home, really.'

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: 'We are aware of the outbreak of a fire in the region surrounding Malaga. We have deployed consular staff to visit evacuation centres and they are providing assistance to British residents who have had to leave their homes.

'We estimate that several hundred Britons have been evacuated, including some 300 who have been relocated to evacuations centres in the La Cala de Mijas and Calahonda areas. We are working closely with the Spanish authorities who are handling the evacuation centres and communications with local residents.'

There has been an estimated 12,000 wildfires in Spain this year with 580 square miles of land burned. Unusually dry weather and high temperatures have resulted in the forest fires.

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